Four Kingdoms
by Avari wind seer
Summary: [semi AU] Four kingdoms, each striving against the others for domination of Weyard. Four clans, in a centuries-old conflict that may finally be drawing to a close...if the few remaining Adepts can overcome their prejudices against each other...
1. Prologue: Miracle

Well, all my tests are over (finally!) (but school isn't) and I've been writing too many one-shots, so I've decided to finally get this idea written. This is just something that's been making itself heard in my mind for a while. It's based on many things, but mostly on a Chinese epic novel called _Three Kingdoms_, which is based on the fall of the Han dynasty and… Well, I don't think you care about that stuff.

Besides, even if you read the book, you probably would see no connection, because my weird mind has changed everything completely around.

Anyway, this is just the prologue, which really has nothing to do with the plot of the story, but it's necessary for…later. So read, review, enjoy, and don't expect it to make any sense! …Yet.

Oh, by the way, this might seem like just a write-up of what happened on the Mars Lighthouse, but—even though it is—it is really needed for the end of the story. (How many times do I have to repeat myself so no one will flame me?)

**Disclaimer:** Avari does not own Golden Sun or _Three__Kingdoms_ (which is by far the best history-based novel ever). She doesn't own death scenes, angsty Felix, or bright flashes of light.

* * *

Prologue: Miracle

* * *

The two dragons were tiring. Weariness was evident in the curve of their necks, the fading red gleam in their eyes, the way they held their heads. Victory was near for the eight Adepts who faced them.

Isaac leaped forward and slashed at the smaller dragon. It roared in pain as the cold steel bit into its flesh. It backed away slowly, blood dripping from its scaled hide.

The Adepts watched the two fire beasts warily. The dragons, while near defeat, were still dangerous. The larger dragon hissed at them. The smaller one's eyes were glowing malevolently.

The more agile dragon—the smaller one—lunged forward, raking its claws across Ivan's arm. The boy winced but slashed back at the dragon with his light sword, leaving an angry red scratch.

_It's time to end this,_ thought Felix. "Stone Spire!" A huge rock missile appeared above the heads of the two fire dragons and fell to earth, crushing them beneath its weight.

A red light blazed. The eight Adepts and Kraden covered their eyes.

When the crimson glow faded, two figures were left lying on the red stone floor. Felix took one look at them and felt his sword fall from his limp hand.

"No… It can't be…"

In place of the two dragons, Karst and Agatio lay on the ground, their clothes ripped, their bodies covered in blood.

The Venus Adept rushed forward and knelt down by the two Adepts. Karst raised her head and looked at him. Her red eyes struggled to focus on his face.

"Felix, you came…"

By her side, Agatio tried to move, but grimaced with the pain. "Leave us, Felix. Take the Mars Star and light the beacon. You must complete our task."

Felix ignored him. If he could just heal them, then all of them would be able to light the beacon—together.

He pulled off his gloves and placed his bare hand in Karst's. Her skin was strangely cold against his, unusual for a Mars Adept. Closing his eyes, he focused his energy. "Cure," he whispered. By his side, Mia was tending to Agatio. He let his power flow into Karst's body and waited for the healing process to take over.

"Oh no…" he heard Mia murmur. Felix opened his eyes to see that Karst hadn't healed at all. The gashes and cuts that riddled her body remained open, bleeding slowly. The Psynergy wasn't working. Karst seemed immune to his Psynergy. Mia, too, was having no luck. Agatio lay silently on the stones, the motion of his chest slowing.

"Picard, you take over!" Felix snapped. Picard looked startled at the Venus Adept's unusually harsh order, but he obeyed and knelt down beside the two fallen warriors, a blue aura already gathering around him.

Karst coughed, blood staining her lips, and spoke, shaking her head at Picard. "Agatio's right. There's nothing you can do for us. The eye…it told us we didn't have the will to go on. Go. Light the beacon."

"No!" said Mia forcefully. "We're not leaving you here to die!"

Agatio smiled bitterly. "Can't you see, healer that you are? It's too late for us. We were destined to fall here."

"No…" Felix felt his body going numb. Karst and Agatio were his friends. He had grown up with them for three years. They had taken a different path from him, but their goal and his were ultimately the same.

And now they were dying.

Agatio drew a raspy breath. "I'm sorry…about Jupiter Lighthouse."

"We've put that behind us," Isaac said quietly. "We know better what your intentions were. What matters now is lighting the final beacon."

Karst looked up at them all one last time. "Then go. Finish this."

The nine of them watched helplessly as the eyes of the two warriors clouded over and their bodies went limp.

Sheba stood between Felix and Jenna, trying to make sense of her feelings. Karst and Agatio had opposed them at every turn, bullying them into hurrying to light the lighthouses, and even trying to kill Isaac to revenge Karst's sister. So why did she mourn their deaths?

In her turmoil, Sheba looked up at Felix's face. The grief etched there was terrible. He had known Karst and Agatio for a long time, longer than Sheba had known him or Jenna or Picard. He had known them as friends, Sheba knew. In his mind, the two Mars Adepts had only been trying to save the land they loved. They had chosen to go against the common values in Weyard to save Prox and the entire world. And they had died for their beliefs.

Sheba gently reached up and laid a hand on Felix's shoulder.

Mia stood up, ignoring the tears that ran down her face and the dark blood smeared over her robes. "I'm sorry, Felix," she said quietly.

But Felix had already blocked out the pain, sealing his mind off from the grief. The vulnerable look of pain Sheba had just seen in his eyes was gone, replaced by a hard, cold expression.

"Let's go," he said. Silently, they followed him out of the hall and towards their destination—the aerie of the final lighthouse.

* * *

The eight Adepts stood in front of the stone dragon head. In front of them, the four opened doors—representing man, bird, fish, and dragon—gleamed eerily.

_You have lit the four flames of the elements,_ a voice said in their minds. The Adepts looked at each other in confusion. Behind them, Kraden gazed around the red stone room in awe, searching for the source of the voice_. You have passed the test of the Mars Lighthouse. Take this path to the aerie, and find your journey's end._

A white light shone as an engraved symbol appeared in front of them on the floor.

_Good luck._

The nine of them crowded onto the carved design.

Kraden stared in interest at the elaborately illustrated emblem. He opened his mouth to speak, but Sheba glared at him, silencing the old scholar.

Mia raised the Teleport Lapis in one hand.

"Teleport!"

They disappeared.

They appeared on the lighthouse aerie, facing the gap in the stone where the beacon would soon emerge. Around them the winds raged, tugging at their clothes. Snow blew into their faces, stinging their cheeks.

"Let's finish this," whispered Felix. He stepped forward, the Mars Star clasped tightly in his gloved hand.

_—Betrayers, you have arrived!—_ The voice resonated around them, in the air, in their very bones.

They started and looked around in confusion, squinting through the blizzard, searching for the source of the voice.

"The wind's too strong! I can't see anything!" complained Mia.

"I heard it too," said Jenna, "but I don't see anyone else up here!"

"I should have known it wouldn't be this easy," muttered Ivan to Sheba. She nodded and scanned the snowy sky nervously.

_—So, you still intend to light the beacon of Mars Lighthouse?—_ The thundering voice echoed in their minds.

"Who are you?" Isaac shouted.

_—Have you forgotten me so soon, Isaac? And you, Garet?—_

"What is it talking about, Isaac?" asked Mia. "Do you have any idea what it is?"

Isaac shook his head.

_—Then search your heart, boy!—_

The nine of them stared up in amazement at the rock-like form that had just appeared out of nowhere. It hovered above the aerie, glowing, apparently using some kind of power even stronger than Psynergy to defy gravity.

"It's the Wise One!" exclaimed Garet.

"The Wise One?" said Sheba, puzzled.

"After the Elemental Stars were stolen from Sol Sanctum, the Wise One prevented Mt. Aleph from erupting so that Garet and I could escape," explained Isaac. "The Wise One held off the eruption until we could escape. He even halted the lava flow."

"That's impossible!" exclaimed Mia. "Nobody has enough power to do that!"

"Well," said Garet, "I was there, and it happened, so you'll just have to believe us!"

"If it can do all that, this Wise One sounds more like a god than an Adept!" said Picard in disbelief.

"I don't know _what_ it is…" Isaac said doubtfully.

The Wise One ignored the bickering of the Adepts below him. _—I did not just save you. I also tasked you with recovering the four Elemental Stars. Why have you disobeyed my command?—_

"Because Prox will be destroyed if we don't light the beacon!"

_—Prox? They have brought this disaster upon themselves.—_

Sheba scowled. "Are you saying we should just abandon them to die? What did they do to deserve that?"

_—The people of Prox have committed an unforgivable sin. They must pay the price.—_

"For lighting the lighthouses? Is that their sin?" asked Isaac angrily. "Does that warrant total destruction?"

"They were only fighting for their homeland!"

"If we don't light the beacon, Gaia Falls will eventually erode all of Weyard!"

"We have fought so long to save all the people of our world, and now you would stop us?" asked Picard, his voice calm despite his anger.

"How can you just allow the world to crumble into nothingness?" yelled Jenna.

"The seal needs to be broken! The world will be destroyed if it's not!"

The Adepts paused in their verbal barrage. The Wise One was silent. It eyed them all carefully, appearing a bit disconcerted.

"We've got it thinking," Jenna whispered confidently to Sheba.

But Sheba felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something was wrong. Her Jupiterian senses were warning her, telling her to run as fast as she could, away from the Mars Lighthouse… She stood her ground, ignoring her instincts. She would not abandon her friends.

The wind howled fiercely around them as they waited for the Wise One's reaction.

_—You have learned far too much.—_

Kraden broke in. "Wise One, you can't continue to protect the lighthouses! You know what's happening! It is your duty to protect all of Weyard! If Weyard is destroyed, you will have failed us all!"

There was no reply. The storm was increasing in intensity. Sheba began to shiver with a combination of cold and fear.

"Why won't you answer us, Wise One?" asked Jenna, trying to keep her temper under control.

_—If Alchemy is unleashed, mankind may well destroy all of Weyard itself.—_

"But we can combine our strengths and ensure that Alchemy is not used for evil!"

_—It is inevitable. In time, one man will seek to rule over all. It is human nature, inescapable. Humans are inherently grasping and violent. War and chaos cannot be prevented.—_

Something inside Felix snapped. "But _you_ were the one who killed Saturos and Menardi! It's your fault they died!" he shouted, raising his voice above the increasing storm. Each word was filled with a hatred the others had never heard Felix express before. "If you didn't have this crazy idea that the world needed to be saved, you would never have sent Isaac and Garet out after them, and they would still be alive right now. And you killed Karst and Agatio, too. _You _led them here and turned them into dragons, to die by their friends' hands! _You_ forced them to believe in a destiny that sent them to their deaths!"

The Venus Adept ran out of words and stood there, breathing heavily, his eyes showing a fierceness of spirit not unlike his sister's intense temper, a side he rarely showed around the others.

_—That was not my doing. I cannot interfere in the actions of mankind.—_

"If you can't interfere, then how about getting out of our way so we can light the beacon, huh?" challenged Jenna, her brown eyes sparking dangerously.

"Ooo... Good one, Jenna!" Ivan grinned.

"End it, Felix!" said Isaac.

Felix stepped forward, the gleaming Mars Star held high in his right hand. The Wise One glowed as he raised the Elemental Star. The other Adepts could see the Psynergy that had halted Felix.

"Wise One!" said Picard angrily. "Didn't you just say that you aren't allowed to interfere with our actions?"

_—That is correct. I cannot stop you. But... what if some miracle were to occur, one that prevented you from igniting the beacon?—_

The Wise One eyed each of them in turn, as if measuring them up.

Beside Jenna, Sheba felt the Wise One's gaze on her.

_A cold malice watched them, waiting for the right moment to strike. But behind the malevolent stare, there was a hint of admiration, and a touch of respect. Even so, the darkness needed proof. There was only one way… _

Sheba flinched, feeling a chill run down her back.

"Miracle? What are you talking about? What kind of miracle?" asked Garet.

_—If you can defeat a miracle, only then can you ignite the beacon's flame.—_

There was a brilliant flash of light…

* * *

A quick note before you all go and review (_hint hint_): That was not Felix/Karst. I'm not overly fond of that pairing.

Felix: Uh… but Karst is dead anyway, isn't she?

What are you doing here?

Felix: Helping you write.

…Sure…

Felix: Well she's dead, so she can't be paired with anyone. Right?

…That's what you think…

Felix: O.O Review, or this story will get even weirder.

You haven't seen anything yet…


	2. Shifting Winds

**--Response Section--**

Inferno-Hero:I'm glad there are other people out there share my opinion. I try to be open-minded about most pairings, but I do _not _like Felix/Karst. Maybe it's because I really strongly support Felix/Sheba…

Master of Reality:Thank you for withholding judgment! I'd get depressed if everyone stopped reading after the prologue. The prologue doesn't actually represent the story line at all…at least until the epilogue…

**--End Response Section--**

This chapter might not make much sense when compared with the prologue, so be warned. The easiest way to understand this is not to try at all. Ignore whatever the prologue said, and almost treat this as a different story…almost. The prologue won't fit in until the end, unless my story makes more sense than I thought.

**Disclaimer**_:_ Avari owns nothing. Not Golden Sun (Nintendo and Camelot do) and not _Three Kingdoms_ (some random Chinese guy might…no one really knows, do they). She does, however, own the top-secret Jupiterian spy agency.

* * *

Chapter One

Shifting Winds / Bonds of the Heart

* * *

"Here begins our tale. The empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide. Thus it has ever been."

—_Three Kingdoms_, a Chinese historical novel

* * *

_Centuries ago, the force of Alchemy—the power to manipulate the elements of reality—was free. Unbound, Alchemy entered the bodies of worthy individuals at their birth and granted them the power of Psynergy—the power to control the element of either wind, water, earth, or fire. These possessors of Psynergy came to be called Adepts._

_But the force of Alchemy grew more powerful as the world of Weyard aged into its prime. Adepts became stronger, and their powers were more potent. One Jupiter Adept, born with the strongest Psynergetic powers ever recorded, had a vision—one rumored to have come from the gods themselves—of the one ultimate power—the Golden Sun—that would soon appear on Weyard. The person to claim this power would become the Master of Alchemy and would attain unlimited power and immortality._

_The learned sages of the small __village__ of __Vale__ knew the danger of this imminent event. Man is by nature corrupted and power-hungry, they said. If the Golden Sun was allowed to appear, humans would fight for it in a final power struggle that would eventually end in the destruction of Weyard._

_So they locked it away. With the help of the sages, the Adepts of Weyard sealed the keys to the power of Alchemy in the __mountain__ of __Aleph__, deep within a sacred temple called the Sol Sanctum. With Alchemy locked away, the Golden Sun would cease to exist. Adepts would still be born from time to time, but their powers would be weaker, and their numbers fewer. Weyard could live with this; the true danger—the temptation of power—would be gone forever._

_But in the ceremony of sealing, something went wrong. A misspoken word, perhaps, or an incorrectly cast spell. Exactly what went awry that fateful day has not been recorded. The important thing is the result of that mistake._

_Alchemy was not sealed away in the way that the sages intended. Instead of being locked away, Alchemy was…diluted. The power of the Golden Sun was not released—not as one ultimate force, anyway—but the power of Alchemy spread throughout the world, entering all people, worthy or not. Aside from the ungifted ones, all those who have been born on Weyard after the Sealing possess some type of Psynergy, to some extent. The majority can only summon the weaker powers, such as Quake, Flare, Bolt, or Frost, depending on what Psynergy they have. Those with much higher levels of Psynergy, still called Adepts, are still born to this day, but they are rare. _

_The sages, however, were not concerned with these small errors. In their minds, the rise of the Golden Sun had been prevented, and that should be good enough for anyone. No one considered the possible repercussions._

_And so it was that no one thought to correct the improper sealing, and the world was plunged into chaos._

_With so many users of Psynergy, clans formed based on Psynergetic type, each claiming superiority over the others. Rivalries sprang up between the different elements and innumerable many battles were fought. These battles were more deadly than any fought with sword and spear, because every soldier could use Psynergy, a dangerous power when used correctly—an even deadlier power when not. Psynergy can be a merciful power, but no common soldier would ever think to receive the proper training, so the people of Weyard used their newly given powers unwisely, using them with brute strength instead of with compassion and wisdom._

_The disunity continued, thousands of casualties resulting from the bloody feuds, until the population of Weyard was at a critical point. A solution was needed, quickly. It was then—in the year 456 A.S.—that a strange man named Babi began making his way up through the disorderly ranks of the barely functioning government. A few years later, he had risen to the highest position and declared himself emperor of all of Weyard._

_Babi was a mysterious man in many ways. First, he was one of the "ungifted"—one of the few people born without Psynergy in this new world. In the past, ungifted have been considered cursed and demon-ridden by the Psynergy-possessing inhabitants of Weyard. But this lack of Psynergy gave him an advantage—he was unbiased in the issue of dominance among the clans, so he alone was trusted to fairly mediate peace between them. Babi was also unusual in that he had an abnormally long life—he ruled for nearly one hundred years before his death in his home of Tolbi._

_The clans of Weyard were at peace for nearly all of Babi's reign. He worked out many differences between the rival clans and was able to subdue the ones who would not agree to peace._

_But with the death of Babi in 549 A.S., Weyard was once again plunged into turmoil. When the worst of the fighting died down, the four elemental clans again established their territories as they were before Babi's reign: Mars in the north, centered around the town of Prox; Venus in the southwest, including Tolbi, its main city, and the continent of Atteka; Jupiter in the southeast, controlling Lalivero and Southern Gondowan; and Mercury, which controlled the empire of Lemuria and northern Angara, including the snowy town of Imil._

_Now, with each clan seeking to reunite Weyard under its rule alone, the war is escalating again…_

—From _A History of the Four Kingdoms_, written 558 years after the sealing of Alchemy, by historian Akana Varo of Prox

* * *

"But _why_?" The girl's anguished voice echoed through the empty corridors of the Tolbian palace.

"Because, Jenna," replied a male voice, "the people of Tolbi will tolerate you no longer. We live in the kingdom of Venus, and you are not of Venus. You are a Mars Adept. If you had normal amounts of Psynergy, it might not matter so much, but you are an Adept. You were born with higher levels of Psynergy than most will gain in a lifetime."

"So?"

The man sighed. "Jenna, this is for your own good. A Mars Adept living in a clan of Venus Adepts is…unusual, to say the least. It was fine when you were young, but you're a young woman now, and we are part of the respected family of the Venus clan—due to your brother's power. Circumstances have changed."

"I'm not going to Prox! You can't make me!"

A gentle, feminine voice joined in. "Jenna, we love you, which is why this precaution is necessary. If we don't send you to Prox, the people may…take action." The voice paused, then continued in a stronger tone. "Lady Uzume agrees that this solution is best. You'll be with other Mars Adepts…"

"I don't care!" the girl shouted. The doors banged open and a slender redhead ran out of the room, dashing tears from her eyes.

* * *

A young man, about eighteen years of age, stood by himself on the dock, away from the throng of people that had gathered a little ways away by the edge of the water. The wind stirred his dark brown ponytail gently as he gazed out at the end of the wooden pier, where a large ship was preparing to sail. Seasoned sailors heaved barrels of water and bales of food and other supplies onto the ship. Not far away, the captain was discussing the ship's route with Lady Uzume.

"…We've received reports that there are fierce storms brewing between Hesperia and Gondowan, my lady. To avoid any danger, we're going to sail on the canal out of the Karangol Sea, go around the tip of Gondowan, and reach Prox that way. It's a good thing the canal was just finished last year."

Lady Uzume nodded her approval. "Are all the preparations ready?"

"Yes, my lady. We should have just enough supplies to reach Prox."

"Then go with the grace of the gods." She moved on to speak with some of the sailors.

"Felix!" He turned to see his sister Jenna running down the hill to the harbor, her long red-brown hair blowing behind her in the wind. She was smiling, and anyone in the small crowd that had gathered on the docks would have assumed Jenna was her normal, cheerful self. But Felix could see that her eyes were slightly red, and her smile was strained. She had stayed in her room for four days, ever since their parents announced their intentions to send her to the far northern stronghold of Prox, in the kingdom of Mars.

She cannoned into him, wrapping her arms around him. He could feel her tears leaking into his shirt as he returned the hug.

"I'll miss you, Jenna," he murmured.

She looked up at him, her smile wistful. "I know. I'll miss you too, Felix."

"Lady Jenna, we're ready to leave!"

Jenna tried to smile up at her brother, but had to rub the moisture from her eyes. "I'm not crying," she muttered rebelliously.

Felix smiled fondly at her. "I know. Good luck, Jenna."

Then she turned away, walking towards the ship that awaited her.

The people of Tolbi watched silently as the young girl boarded the ship. There would be no cheers, no shouts of admiration—as there would have been for any other member of the Venus Clan. Every pair of eyes was trained on the young girl who had tried to fit in with them for seventeen years, regarding her with unfriendly gazes. The silence was a hostile one, and everyone knew it.

Jenna's parents insisted that Jenna was just going away for a short time, that she would be able to come back soon, that this was temporary. But everyone in Tolbi knew the truth: this was exile.

Felix, unable to watch anymore, turned and trudged back up the hill to the outer walls of Tolbi as the sun set behind the hills.

* * *

As the ship left the harbor, darkness settled over the land. Night cloaked the city of Tolbi in its embrace.

Tolbi was situated on a hill, ideal placement for a fortress, which it was, in a way. An outer wall—constructed of solid stone two feet thick—encircled the perimeter of the city, once a peaceful trading town at the end of the Silk Road, now the base and home of the few Venus Adepts left in Weyard. Inside the wall, narrow paved streets criss-crossed the city in a seemingly random fashion. Houses, shops, and other various buildings lined the streets, clustered together in a somewhat haphazard way.

This pattern of organization—if you could call it that—continued up to the foot of the grassy hill. Here the buildings stopped where another wall lay, surrounding flowering grounds and the large stone castle that was the home of the Venus Clan.

By this inner wall, in the typical dark of any autumn night, two small figures crouched. They were dressed all in black—tunics, leggings, boots—and had black scarves wrapped around their heads so only their eyes were visible.

The first figure looked around nervously, then placed his hand on the other's shoulder. "Hover," he whispered quietly. The other figure glowed purple, then rose slowly into the air, grabbing at the top of the battlements to stop her ascent. The boy then cast Hover on himself and joined his partner on top of the outer wall, looking out over the carefully-tended grounds at the palace itself.

"They call it a palace," the boy murmured, "but it's almost a fortress!"

"We'll find a way," replied the other. "Hama trusts us to get in there. And we've done some that were nearly this heavily guarded."

"But this is _Lady Uzume's_ palace. They sure aren't going to let us in there easily."

"Well, that's why _we're_ here, instead of some amateur Jupiterian spy. Besides, I saw a big group of people out by the ships. I don't think anyone's here."

"Whatever. Let's go."

The two dropped off the wall, landing behind a clump of bushes. After looking around furtively to confirm the absence of any guards, they crept forward, heading towards the palace.

Getting inside was surprisingly easy. It only took three of the lock picks they had brought to open the little-used servants' door.

But the interior of the palace was a maze. The two Adepts wandered through several floors, searching for their target. Their nerves were on edge; every moment they expected someone to come out of one of the rooms and see them.

"Let's look in this room," the boy whispered.

"We've been into at least ten rooms already. What makes you think this one will be any better?"

"Let's just try it." He edged the door open and grinned, although the expression was hidden beneath the scarf. "Look at this!"

They had found what appeared to be a study. A desk was placed against one wall, papers piled messily on its surface. Tiptoeing over to it, the two found what appeared to be diagrams for battle formations. Under descriptions of army tactics were essays written by distinguished scholars on the subject of Psynergy use in battle.

"Perfect," the boy whispered. He grabbed the most important-looking papers and stuffed them into his tunic.

"Look at this!" His companion had opened the drawers and discovered a sheet covered in neat handwriting. It began:

_Lady Uzume,  
We have reason to believe that the Jupiter forces are planning a sneak attack against us. We plan to ambush their armies at dawn on the 17th of November to forestall their move. We request extra troops for this…_

"Jupiter!" the boy murmured. "That's less than four weeks away! Hama's gonna love this." He slipped the paper into his pocket and the two began digging through the other drawers.

Footsteps approaching the room startled them from their search. The two stared at each other, wide purple eyes meeting green ones. Then they dashed for the door, which was badly designed to open outwards into the corridor. Hiding behind the partially closed door, they held their breath and waited.

The footsteps drew nearer. The purple-eyed figure held up three fingers. The other nodded.

_Three…_

_Two…_

The person halted outside the room.

_One…_

The door began to open wider.

_Go!_

The two Adepts slammed open the door, smashing the guard across the corridor and into the opposite wall. Then they ran for it, no longer bothering to keep quiet. Speed was what mattered now.

The guard's eyes fluttered. He had been knocked momentarily unconscious, but his helm had taken most of the impact. "In…" he croaked. He cleared his throat and shouted. "Intruders! Intruders on the third floor!"

The two Adepts flew down the hallways, spurred on by fear. Behind them they could hear doors crashing open and shouts of "Stop!"

The two raced towards the flight of stairs. If they could just get to the ground floor in time…

With a thud, they collided with an armored soldier who had been running up the stairs toward them. The three tumbled head over heels down to the second floor, where they lay there moaning.

The boy was the first one on his feet. The soldier seemed to be knocked out, but his companion was injured, too.

"What's wrong? We have to get out, now!"

"I can't." Brilliant green eyes dimmed with pain. "I think my ankle's broken, or something. I'm not getting out of this one."

"You have to! I'll carry you out!"

"No, Ivan. Get yourself out. Take the plans to Hama. I'll be okay."

The boy bent down and attempted to lift his companion up. She shoved him away.

"You have to get out!"

He looked to the stairs. About twenty soldiers were racing towards them, armed with both bladed weapons and Psynergy.

"Go! I'll be fine! Just get back to Hama! She needs you!"

The guards had reached her. Ivan ran for it, leaping out the window and plummeting ten feet into a large bush that broke his fall.

Back inside the palace, half of the guards raced for the stairs that led to the first floor, heading for the front door in the hope that they could catch the other young spy. The remaining soldiers surrounded the injured spy, eliminating all hopes of a rescue.

In the grounds, the guards conducted a thorough sweep of the area. Extra guards were placed on the gates. But no one noticed the small shadow that Hovered over the wall and took off running, heading southeast.

Once outside of Tolbi, Ivan slowed his pace. Settling into a comfortable loping stride, he gritted his teeth in anger.

The clan of Venus would pay for this. He would return to Hama…and then he would take revenge. He would rescue Sheba, and he wouldn't rest until she was safe in Lalivero.

* * *

Felix stalked down the hall, unexpressed anger evident in his stride.

"Get the boy!"

"We'll stay here and keep an eye on this one!"

"Hurry!"

Felix paused at the end of the hallway where the walls of stone widened into a landing where a staircase led up to the third floor and down to the first.

_Well, I am part of the Venus Clan,_ Felix thought wearily. _Time to start acting the part, I guess._

He emerged onto the landing and eyed the scene. Seven Venusian soldiers—handpicked because they were _slightly_ more adept with Psynergy than the average person—were clustered around a black-clad figure that lay limply on the floor. Another group of soldiers was racing down the stairs, making a loud racket what with their poorly-forged mail shirts, spears, shields.

"What's going on here?" Felix snapped, sounding much more confident than he felt.

"My lord—" Felix winced. Only Uzume deserved the title of ruler. His parents were no one important—he was only part of the clan because he was an Adept. "—two spies were discovered in the palace a few minutes ago. We've got one here—Jeran and his group are chasing after the other."

_Spies?_ Felix could barely believe what he was hearing. _No_ one, in all the history of the wars of Weyard, had _ever_ captured the spy of another clan. Actually, there had been few spies since the history of the clan rivalries—the risk was too great, and few were skilled at such tasks, anyways.

But recently, the Jupiter forces had been more aware of attacks than was accountable by even their Psynergetic powers. _Like that attack last week,_ remembered Felix vividly. Ten Jupiter companies had ambushed a Venus troop that had been on a completely secret reconnaissance mission. Not one Venusian soldier had been left alive.

_Maybe these spies…_

"My lord, what should we do with 'im?" One soldier motioned at the prone body lying on the stone floor.

"Er… What happened to him?"

"Injured in some way, before we got here. Don't know how, my lord, but then Barra knocked 'im out with his spear handle while the spy was incap...in…hurt."  
Felix sighed, resisting the urge to rub his temples. Stupid fighters. They always had to find the most violent solutions.

"All right, put him in my room. I'll speak with Lady Uzume about this."

"Thank you, my lord."

The company moved off, one man hoisting the limp body in his arms.

* * *

And that is the end of chapter one. Told you it wouldn't make sense.

Felix: You have a twisted mind…

Not as twisted as the guy who wrote _Lord of the Flies_! That is an _evil_ book! I mean, I like reading, but that was the most sadistic, disturbing, and most horrible book I have _ever_ read.

Felix: Right… Stop ranting; your readers don't care one bit.

Review, s'il vous plait!


	3. Clouds on the Horizon

Mwahahaha! As of today, I have graduated from eighth grade! I am now officially a high schooler! Fear me!

Felix: X.X She's been like this all day…

**--Review Responses--**

ice-phoenix-chan: Well, the real name of _Three Kingdoms_ is actually _Romance of the Three Kingdoms_ (romance as in glory and heroes and drama, not love). So while _Three Kingdoms_ is actually a romanticized version of what happened when the Han dynasty fell, it's really more like a novel. It's not boring, like my history textbook. And no, I'm not going to tell you how the prologue ties in, because that would defeat the purpose of the entire story!

Inferno-Hero: Thanks! I suppose Felix/Karst might make sense…but I still dislike that pairing…

Tetra Seleno: Hello again! The 'spy' idea has actually been churning itself around and around in my head for a while…so I had to write it to get rid of it. I know there are Felix/Karst fans…but I'm not one of them. I don't _hate_ the pairing (I try to be open-minded, I really do!) but Felix and Karst don't seem to go well together.

Master of Reality: Yeah…I'm not quite sure what that did, either… I am trying to make this original, but I'm probably getting inspired by books, fanfictions, and movies that I might not even remember! The subconscious is weird that way…

--**End Response Section--**

**Disclaimer:** Avari owns nothing. Except her graduation diploma…

* * *

Chapter Two

Clouds on the Horizon / Trouble Looming

* * *

_Since the sealing of Alchemy nearly four hundred years ago, the four elemental clans have fought with each other in the struggle to survive and conquer. Many battle strategies—those recorded from ancient times and new ones tested for the first time on the battlefield—have been tried in these four centuries. Many have succeeded, and many have failed._

_In the past hundred years, alliances have become a common way for two clans to attempt to work together to destroy a mutual enemy. But harsh words lead to blows, and no alliance has lasted long. In the fight to vanquish all the other kingdoms, no clans can forget its rivalries long enough to work together. And so the war rages on…_

_Now the Jupiterians have broken our treaty. They claim we were the first to go back on the oath we both swore, but we have done nothing… And now they are coming for us, assisted by the Mercurians—King Hydros actually lent ten of his legendary Psynergetic vessels to them._

_Damn the Jupiterians. May Mars smite them and their gods-cursed allies. Not that we'll ever live to see that day…_

_We are trapped in a never-ending cycle. What fights, falls, but rises up again in a stronger form. The clans will never die; indeed, if they did, all of Weyard would fall with them, because the four elements make up all matter in this world—equally. How ironic…_

_Matthias says the Jupiterian forces will be here in two days. To survive their attack…that is too much for us to hope for._

_Gods, I do not fear death; it would be a better end than where this earth is headed. Grant me a quick end…_

_But I doubt any gods are listening. If any merciful gods were watching what is befalling this earth, they would have annihilated the human race ages ago..._

_Save us, Mars, they are coming… I can hear the winds…_

—The final entry in the record of Mika Nari, record keeper of Prox from 376 to 385 A.S.

* * *

A few miles south of the town of Imil, a blond-haired boy, about seventeen or so, paused and looked around him. In the dark of night, the snow blanketing the surrounding trees glowed white. All seemed quiet, but Isaac sensed something nearby.

Drawing his sword, he turned in a slow circle, listening carefully, but he could hear nothing. There was just a faint feeling that something was not right…

Shrugging, Isaac started walking again, leaving his sword unsheathed.

Isaac, a young warrior of the Venus Clan, was an Adept. He had been sent by the Lady Uzume, head of the Venus Clan, to Imil. Her instructions were explicit: do whatever possible to influence the few Mercury Adepts posted there into a truce with the Venusians. Without the Mercury Clan attacking on one side, the Venus Clan had a chance for survival. Without the support or peace of the Mercurians, the Venus Kingdom would not last long.

Suddenly, a large gray wolf leapt out at him from behind a clump of trees. There had been no warning, but Isaac had been raised as a warrior ever since he was strong enough to hold a sword. It was only his trained reflexes that saved his life.

Isaac barely blocked the wolf's attack with a parry of his blade that left a bloody gash across the beast's side. Dodging the swings of its claws, Isaac backed up, step by step, waiting for an opening.

He found it. With a yell, he lunged forward and ran the beast through. In the process of wiping his sword on the snow to clean it of blood, Isaac froze. He looked up. Coming through the trees were about ten wolves, their maddened eyes glowing in the darkness, their teeth stained yellow. They were encircling him, leaving him no way to escape.

It would be a fight to the death.

As if following an unspoken command, five of the wolves dashed for him at once. He killed one quickly, but another left a long slash on his arm. The third feinted, and while he watched it, a fourth leaped onto his back, sinking its claws into his flesh.

Isaac gasped in pain, still managing to whirl around, knocking the beast off-balance. He slashed at it with his sword, but more of the wolves had emerged from the trees. Isaac barely felt any pain when a large wolf sank its teeth into his left arm; he felt almost separate from his physical body, as if he was watching a stranger do battle for his life.

Isaac's eyes were dimming. In a last attempt to save himself, he cast the most powerful Psynergetic spell he knew.

"Mother Gaia!"

Surrounded by dead and dying wolves, Isaac sank to the ground and lay there unmoving.

"Mia, we need you!"

A loud knock on her door woke the Mercury Adept from sleep. At the sound of her former apprentice's urgent call, the girl forced herself to stumble out of her warm bed, wrap herself in a dressing gown, and open the door.

Standing outside her bedroom was Alex, one of the four healers in Imil. His dark blue eyes were worried, and his usually silky hair was damp and matted. The dilapidated condition of his hair—more than anything else—told Mia that something was wrong.

"What is it, Alex?"

He gestured down the stairs, past the row of rooms that the healers of Imil occupied. "Keth and I found a boy while we were looking for more herbs. He's in pretty bad shape. You'd better see to him."

Mia nodded and followed Alex down the hall and down to the first floor of the small house where all Mercury Clan Adepts in Imil stayed. Lying on a couch in the main room was a boy, about sixteen or seventeen years old, with dirty blond hair. His skin was strangely pale. Mia was puzzled, until she noticed the amount of blood on his clothes, which were in tatters.

"Neptune, he's a mess," breathed Mia. She went to the boy's side and checked for a pulse. The faint feeling of life was there, just under her fingertips. "I think he might have a chance," she murmured, more for her comfort than for Alex's.

Quickly, Mia rolled up her sleeves, placed her hands on the boy, and called upon the healing power she had inherited as a member of the Mercury Clan. "Ply."

A blue light glowed on her fingertips, and spread to the boy's body, concentrating on the most serious wounds. As the Psynergy faded, the boy coughed violently, then began to breathe more easily.

Alex watched as the young healer worked. Her pale face was determined and her mouth was set in a grim line. She was so different from the young girl he had known in Lemuria. Back then, they had both been innocent children, carefree and unknowing. But since her parents' death two years ago, Mia had changed dramatically. It seemed to Alex that she lived solely to heal others. She had volunteered to be sent to Imil to get away from the memories that haunted her in Lemuria.

"Alex!" The blue-haired man looked up at Mia. Her deep blue-green eyes were wide and scared in her small face. "He's lost too much blood. His…his body's not healing right. I need you to take over while I mix up a potion for him."

"All right." Alex knelt down by the boy and concentrated fiercely as he cast a healing spell. He had been studying under Mia, but when his Psynergy levels had exceeded hers, she had admitted that she was unfit to teach him. Mia still had the most skill out of the four healers, though.

Still mixing the potion, Mia looked over Alex's shoulder as he cast Ply on the dying boy. "Even after losing that much blood, we should be able to revive him," she murmured. "Why won't he wake up? Something's not right…" She put the mixture down.

Alex stood back and watched, concerned, as Mia closed her eyes and immersed herself in her Psynergy…

* * *

In another snow-covered region of Weyard, a slender redheaded girl with pink skin tramped through the deep snow. Her two friends ran to catch up. One was a sturdy young man with blue-gray hair and an oddly-colored face, ran to catch up with her. The other was about the same age, with a flaming head of red hair and a cheerful smile.

"Karst, where are you going?" called the first boy.

Without turning around, the girl called back, "To the council meeting, remember, Agatio? We just turned seventeen; do you want to miss the first meeting we're allowed to go to?"

"Well…what's so great about going to a council meeting?" the second grumbled.

"Oh, come on, Garet! It shows that we're old enough for the elders to trust us! Besides, Puelle said this meeting was especially important."

"He always says that…"

Arguing, the three friends made their way across the empty lot and caught up to a blonde woman at the entrance to the hall.

"Hi, Menardi!"

The blonde Mars Adept looked down at her younger sister and her two companions. The three were still young in the eyes of the elders of Prox, but they were energetic and were quickly becoming strong warriors. Menardi's smile faltered. With the way things were going, warriors with fiery spirits and brave hearts would be needed badly very soon.

"Hey." Menardi looked up to see her partner, Saturos, standing behind the three teens. She smiled at him.

"Don't want to be late, do we? Let's get inside."

"Quiet down!" called Puelle, chief warrior of the northern Fire Clan. "Everyone, find a seat and settle down!"

The citizens of Prox, consisting of everyone over seventeen years of age, quickly found seats in the crowded hall. All eyes were trained on Puelle, the red-haired leader of the Mars Clan.

"Thank you for coming today," he began. "This is an important meeting, so I'll get right to the point. Most of you know that five hundred years ago, the power of Alchemy was considered to be a threat to the existence of Weyard. The heart of Alchemy was sealed into Mt. Aleph, the mountain at the heart of the continent of Angara. But the sealing went awry, and Alchemy spread to all corners of the earth. That is why all of you here have Psynergy today; in the past, only about five percent of Weyard's population consisted of Adepts."

Whispers swept through the crowd. Puelle continued, raising his voice above the murmurs, and spoke of the feuds that followed the sealing of Alchemy. Standing in the back of the room, Menardi groaned softly. She had heard this all before. Although she didn't like to read too much, Saturos had talked her into doing some historical research. The records of Prox were old, difficult to read, and very incomplete, but Menardi had forced herself to read a few of them to educate herself.

As Puelle rambled on, answering the foolish questions of the non-Adepts—who would never truly understand the awesome power of Alchemy and Psynergy—Menardi gazed over the crowd of seated Proxans…and snorted in exasperation.

"Oh, honestly. Even after…" For the first time after all these years, Menardi had noticed that the seating appeared to be a bit…segregated. On one side of the room sat the full-blooded Proxans—the men easily identified by their blue or red hair and oddly patterned faces, the women less so, with either red, blue, or even blonde hair, and pink or blue skin. On the other side of the room, with an aisle in the middle, sat the pale-skinned southerners—the Mars Adepts who were descended from the people from the southern continents of Hesperia or Atteka, or even regions as far east as Angara or Gondowan.

_You'd think that after over five hundred years, we'd come to some kind of peace, at least. But no, there's still this unconscious need to keep separate, to stay with those of our own color._

Then Menardi smiled fondly to notice that sitting in a row between the two groups were Karst, Agatio, and Garet—representing a bond between the two ethnic groups. Her eyes hardened as she brought her mind back to what Puelle was saying. _We'll need more like them if we're ever going to get through this together._

"And so," said Puelle, "the four kingdoms of Weyard have been fighting each other ever since the death of Emperor Babi. You see, each clan is determined that it, and it alone, will reunite Weyard in its entirety and bring peace to the world. That wouldn't be wrong by itself, but for us to fight each other in order to bring about reunification…that will never work.

"It isn't all the fault of the other clans, either. We have been as bad as the others—squabbling about land and fighting over territory. But we're only destroying ourselves.

"And that is why I am proposing to send a small group of Adepts to the other clans, telling them of this. If they are at all reasonably, they will see that squabbling over territory like they are doing is foolish. We must reunite our world through peace, not war!"

A cheer erupted from many throats as Puelle stepped down, finished. But one, a heavily-built man, with the pale skin and fair hair of a southerner from Hesperia, stood up. "But Puelle, what about our plans? We have an army heading south that will be in a position to attack Tolbi in three days!"

Puelle, his face flushing with anger, stood back up again. "Don't you understand? The only way to get the other kingdoms to agree to peace is if we practice what we preach! We have to set an example for them and show them we are above their absurd bickering!"

The hall erupted, each person trying to be heard as the southerner's supporters—all southerners themselves—stormed up to the podium where Puelle stood. "Look, Puelle," said the head of the group, the sturdy man, his voice rising above the clamor, "these high-minded notions of yours just aren't going to cut it. The only way to survive in this world is to fight! If we start acting soft, we'll be overwhelmed by the other kingdoms! We need to stand up for ourselves!"

There was a loud cheer from many of the Proxans. Menardi noted bitterly that most were southerners, though a small group of native Proxans seemed to hold the same opinion.

"But—" began Puelle.

"I don't think you understand us," snarled the leader. "But maybe you'll understand _this!_" He drew a dagger from his belt and stabbed it into Puelle's unprotected chest.

* * *

Sunlight filtered through the windows of the spacious room. A large bed took up most of the space, but even with a desk, a dresser, and a couch, the bedroom wasn't crowded at all.

On the bed, on top of the sheets, a black-clad figure stirred. The sun shone on her face, or what could be seen of it—all but the eyes were covered by a black cloth that wrapped all the way around her head.

The small figure rolled over, stretched, and sat up. She moaned, feeling her head throb. Gingerly, she slid her hand under the scarf that covered her head. There was a large lump on the back of her skull, and when she drew her hand away, it was covered in clotting and sticky blood. _Jupiter, that hurts… What happened?_

Slowly, brief flashes of memory from the previous night returned to Sheba. She groaned, realizing the trouble she was in…

She glanced quickly around the room. There was no one there…With one last frantic hope, she decided to run for it.

She pushed her aching body off the bed and stood up quickly, then gasped as she put her weight on her injured ankle. She sank back to the bed, her ankle throbbing with pain.

"Oh, you're up!" said a pleasant tenor voice. She heard someone enter the room. With a sudden touch of concern, the voice added, "Here. Let me fix that."

She felt a warmth flow through her entire body. When she put her hand to her head again, there was no blood, no lump. And her ankle was completely healed.

She looked up, startled. A boy—young man, really—stood in front of her. He had long brown hair tied back in a ponytail, and he wore a green tunic. He looked to be about eighteen or nineteen. By his side was a sword, a plain one at first glance, but she could see the small device on the hilt: the symbol for a lord of the Venus Clan.

"Who are you?" he asked. He didn't seem angry, just curious. But she knew that would change soon enough, once he found out who she was and what she and Ivan had stolen from him.

There was only one thought running through her mind: _I am so dead._ She—a spy from the Jupiter Clan—had breached the palace defenses, stolen their battle plans, and had gotten caught.

Sheba had never been a coward, but she knew when she was beaten.

She pulled off the scarf and bent her head, her short hair hanging forward to expose her bare neck. "You can kill me now, my lord."

She waited a few moments. When she didn't hear a blade hissing through the air and didn't feel the cold steel on her neck, she looked up.

"You're… you're a _girl!_"

Felix stared at the petite girl who was now sitting on his bed. She was built like a spy: slender, agile, and small. She probably wouldn't be much of a fighter. She swept her short blonde hair out of her face and fixed her bright green eyes on him, her emotions unreadable.

"So what if I'm a girl? Did you think that only a _boy_ would be a spy?"

Okay…she was angry. At least she was expressing herself, thought Felix wryly.

"Well…yes."

Suddenly, she grinned. "At least you know to tell the truth around a mind reader."

Whoa...wait a second. A mind reader? As far as Felix knew, Mind Read was not a common Jupiter ability. "You're an Adept?"

"Yeah…I'm Sheba, of the Jupiter clan." There was no point in lying, Sheba decided.

"I'm Felix, an Earth Adept of the Venus Clan."

It was a stupid question to ask, Sheba knew, but she had to know the answer. "Why aren't you going to kill me? I'm your prisoner."

"Why would I kill you?" Felix didn't seem to be angry.

"We…we took those…plans…" Sheba stuttered, blushing. What if he hadn't noticed that anything was missing? She was in for it now…

"It doesn't matter," he said quietly.

"What doesn't matter—the paper?"

He ignored her question. "Come on. We'll find you a room."

"What?"

"I said, we'll find you a room to sleep in. Unless you were planning on sleeping in here."

Sheba turned a bright and vivid red. "I meant…" Then his words sank in. "You mean I'm staying here?"

"Yes." For a moment, he looked almost as if he regretted having to say those words. "There's no way in Weyard that we're going to let you go."

"But _why?_" A wave of homesickness overwhelmed the young Adept. She would never see them ever again. _Ivan…Feizhi…__Hama__…_

"You're a Jupiter Adept, which means you have certain powers that no other Adept has. Whatever powers you possess may assist us in this war. Lady Uzume would never forgive me if I let you go."

With those words, he turned and walked out the door. Rubbing her eyes, which burned and prickled with withheld tears, Sheba followed him.

* * *

Jenna stood on the forward deck, watching the sunset. The ship was only two days out of the Karangol Sea, and already she was sick of everything: the salt smell, the attacking gulls, the endless shouted orders…

"Cap'n, there's a cloud on the horizon!"

Jenna stared out at the pink-streaked clouds. They seemed perfectly normal to her. What were the sailors yelling about now?

"Damn!" swore the captain, right behind Jenna. She jumped and turned around. The captain, a short little man who had unusually high levels of Psynergy for someone who wasn't an Adept, was gazing at the horizon, to the left of where Jenna had been looking. Jenna followed his gaze and tried not to follow his choice of language.

A huge black cloud was less than four miles away from the ship, and it was closing on them fast. The pillow of threatening clouds seemed to increase in size as they drew closer.

"Trim the sails! Man the tiller! Someone get down and help Kuja with that Orb!"

Jenna was suddenly standing in the middle of a frenzy of running people, yelling, and the growing sound of thunder. Lightning flashed in the clouds, which Jenna noticed were suddenly right above them. Buckets of rain poured down drenching everyone on deck.

The captain noticed her standing in the middle of the deck as if frozen, and yelled, "Lady Jenna! Get down into your cabin! This is no place for a young lady!"

He was in no mood to be argued with, so Jenna ran for the cabins, dodging sailors as she attempted to keep her balance on the swaying deck. Slamming the door to the common room shut behind her, she leaned against it, thinking. She didn't really want to sit in her cabin during the whole storm. Felix had always teased her about being a "useless girl."

An idea came to her. Jenna glanced around, making sure that no one was coming out of the cabins that opened into the common room. She would prove Felix wrong.

Taking the steps two at a time, Jenna ran down to the room in the ship's hold where the Black Orb was held. Standing by the pedestal that held the gleaming black crystal was a lone man. His hands and the orb both glowed gold as he fought to keep the ship under control in the raging seas.

A particularly large wave crashed into the ship, knocking Jenna to the ground. There was a sickening crack, and she looked up to see that the man had been knocked off balance, slamming his head on the floor. Blood ran in a thin trickle down his forehead.

_Wait… If he was basically controlling the ship, and he's knocked out now…_ "Iris!" Jenna leaped for the pedestal, grabbing it to steady herself against the movement of the ship. She hesistated—she had never actually used a Psynergetic orb before. She had higher levels of Psynergy than anyone on board, but they all had the experience…

Doubt had never stopped Jenna. With a deep breath, she laid her hands on the orb and released her power in a fiery blast of heat that turned the orb bright red.

She was falling…and then it seemed that she fell into the storm-tossed waters and was pitching about helplessly. She _was_ the ship; she felt every wave that hit her sides, every sailor running about frantically on her wooden decks.

The ship-Jenna fought against the fury of the storm. At last, she seemed to have righted herself. The waters were calming now, and the lightning was less frequent.

In the hold of the ship, Jenna breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed slightly. The storm was over.

"Look ou—" came a cry from the deck above.

With a rending crash, the ship struck rock. Jenna was thrown forward. Unable to catch herself, her head smacked against the stone pedestal and everything went black.

* * *

Meh… That scene with Felix and Sheba was _really _hard to write…

Felix: Isaac…Puelle…Sheba…Jenna… You're so cruel!

Mehehe… That's the job of an author!

Anyway, I'll be off on vacation seeing my relatives (of whom there are _way _too many). So, I won't update this for a long while…unless my grandparents let me use their laptop (how come they get a laptop and I don't? I mean, they don't even use it because they are technologically challenged!).

Anyway, review, or all the characters will die…


	4. Thunderclouds Gather

Argggh! I'm using my grandparents' computer, but get this: they don't have a floppy drive, a CD burner, or Microsoft Word! I'm typing this using WordPad... (which doesn't have a spell checker, so excuse my mistakes). And they have dial-up internet access... I miss broadband...

Felix: Great, I'm stuck in a tiny cabin in the middle of nowhere (Massachusetts), with a crazy author who's having Word withdrawal...

**--Reader Responses--**

Inferno-Hero: Yes, Fire Adepts can be reasonable (I mean, the Proxans were the only ones who took action to save the world!) and yes, (sigh) Fire Adepts are definitely reckless. Well, as you can see, I get to use my grandparents' laptop, but it's not exactly the best one in the world... Pretty good guesses, but I'm not going to tell you if you're right or not, because that would ruin the whole story! 

ice-phoenix-chan: Well, I've tried writing stories on paper, but it's so hard when you can't go back and rewrite a section without scribbling all over the paper and making everything utterly illegible. About my relatives... It's been..._interesting_ so far! (Still one and a half weeks to go...)

Mornie: Thanks! I've been trying to keep everyone in character, which is one of the hardest but most interesting thing about doing an alternate universe story. The rivalry will build in upcoming chapters, don't worry (or do worry, if you want to).****

**--End of Response Section--**

**Disclaimer: **Avari does not own Golden Sun or its characters.

* * *

Chapter Three

Thunderclouds Gather / Plans

* * *

_Gods, why are we all such fools? Though many hide it well, human arrogance and prideful foolishness is exposed in the end. The day the Jupiter Adept arrived here was the beginning of the end in Prox. It revealed that we, too, are human, and are subject to the limitations of the inherent human nature._

_The girl came to our gates a week ago—only a week? It seems an age since she collapsed at our gates. She was only about sixteen or so, but she seemed older. Maybe all Jupiter Adepts are like this—self-assured and confident—because of the knowledge they were granted by the gods that no one else can possibly understand._

_I don't know why she came; she only told the guards that she had to see the chieftain of Prox. Normally, no one who did not have the power of Mars would be allowed into Prox, but Puelle was informed of her presence, and he let her enter._

_Steven and the others wanted to turn her out immediately when they found out that she was a Jupiter Adept; they have insisted from the beginning that we of the Mars Clan should not degrade ourselves by conversing with those of the other elements. Not that anyone here in Prox has ever disagreed with that statement until now. We alone are destined to reunite the people of Weyard under our rule. We and no one else. Working with the other kingdoms will only assure our downfall. _

_I did feel a bit sorry for her, her small body shivering in the bitter cold of the Proxan winter. But though I am not one of the radicals, even I did not want to allow her inside. The other clans are not to be trusted; the massacre of 385 proves that much. Since that day we have held a grudge against the Jupiterians._

_But Puelle has always been independent. He let her in, despite our objections and spoke with her—she would not rest until she had a private talk with him._

_He came out from their meeting looking as if he had seen a ghost. I have never been one to deny what is in front of my eyes—Puelle looked as if someone had told him the end of the world was coming. Immediately afterwards, he would not speak to anyone, but stayed cooped up in his room. Then he summoned a group of Proxan Adepts—including the youths Saturos and Menardi, who many consider scandalously young, too young to be speaking with the chief. No one else was included._

_Steven and his group have never agreed with Puelle. But up until that day, they had kept their protests verbal…_

_Two days ago, they strangled the Jupiter Adept and threw her body outside the gates for the wolves to gnaw upon._

_And no one stopped them. Puelle was not in sight, or Steven would not have dared. But no one in a crowd of twenty Proxans made a move to stop them as they murdered her in the center of Prox. Maybe they were too terrified to move—as I was. I dislike the Jupiter Adepts, but what point is there in senseless killing?_

_Or maybe they did not care._

_Whatever happened in the square that day, it will be the downfall of Prox. We are falling apart, unable to maintain the semblance of harmony that we have kept for over five hundred years._

_This will be the end of us, Mars. We'll meet with you very soon, in the void beyond, where we go when our life-force has expired._

_Wait for us._

—From the records of Siena Maril, record-keeper of Prox from 580 to 586 A.S.; entry dated 583 A.S

* * *

Isaac felt himself floating through an empty void.

_Where am I?_

He tried to speak, but no sound emerged from his mouth. He didn't seem to be able to move, either.

_Am I dead?_

A flash of memory returned to him: the wolves, maddened and hungry, attacking him.

_I probably _am_ dead,_ he realized.

He knew he should be sad, or regretful. Uzume's mission would fail without him, and the Venus Clan would be overwhelmed by the other kingdoms.

But all he could feel was relief, the unmistakable feeling that a heavy burden had lifted from his shoulders. He was free from the endless battles that raged over Weyard, he was free from—

"Warrior!" A gentle voice interrupted his thoughts.

Isaac tried to ignore the voice, to think only of the peace, the calm...

"Warrior, you must come back!"

Back to where? He hadn't gone anywhere; he was right here.

"Why do you fight our healing? Why do you resist us?"

_Resist? I'm not resisting anything…_

"Warrior," the soft voice said, despairing, "I cannot heal you myself. If you wish to return to life, _you_ must will it. Please."

Wait a minute. What did the voice mean, _return to life_? Was he really dead, then?

A flood of guilt swept over Isaac. He had so much to do before death. He wasn't ready to die!

With a sudden determination, Isaac reached up towards the voice and the pinprick of light that shone above...

He opened his eyes slowly. Standing above him, looking down, was an angel. A blue-haired angel, with a worried frown on her compassionate face.

"You're awake," she said. Her voice was quiet, but there was no mistaking the sound of evident relief. She smiled at him, a slow, sweet smile.

"Who...who are you?" Isaac stuttered.

"I'm Mia, of the Mercury Clan. You are in the town of Imil."

"I'm Isaac. I—" With a sudden shock of horror, Isaac realized that he was in _Imil_. This girl was one of the Mercury Adepts he had to befriend, in the hopes that they would side with the Venus Clan against Jupiter, Venus's mortal enemy. But for the Mercurians not to suspect him, Isaac wouldn't be able to reveal his true intentions, or his background. "I'm from...Vale," he ended lamely. He hoped she wouldn't question him too closely; he had only been to Vale once.

Mia met his eyes, then looked away. "We—Alex and I—were able to heal your wounds easily, but you stayed unconscious for such a long time. We...we nearly lost you." She blinked a few times, not meeting his eyes. "But seeing as you're awake now, I think it would be okay for you to get up, as long as you feel okay." Still not looking at him, she picked up a pile of clothes that were stacked neatly on the floor. "You can wear these," she said. "Your other clothes were nearly rags when you got here."

Isaac nodded, realizing, with a twinge of embarrassment, that he was wrapped in only a sheet.

After Mia closed the door behind her, he got out of bed, preparing to wince as he stretched his sore muscles. But he felt nothing; no aches, bruises, or old wounds bothered him. He was still a bit disoriented—understandable, if he had been knocked out for as long as Mia hinted he had—but other than that, he felt great.

Wondering what he would find in Imil, he dressed quickly. The clothes were a bit big for him, but he buckled the belt tightly around the waist of the tunic. Grabbing his sword, which was lying on the floor by his bed, he sheathed it and left the room.

He found Mia standing outside the small house, talking with a tall man. A few flakes of snow blew around in the wind, pale against the dark clouds. It seemed to be only mid-afternoon, but the foreboding storm clouds cast a dim shadow over the snowbound town.

As Isaac approached, Mia turned around and smiled at him. "Isaac, this is Alex. Alex, Isaac."

The man—Alex—turned around. He, like Mia, had blue hair and eyes. Isaac wondered if all Mercury Adepts looked like this. Alex grinned at Isaac, his eyes lighting up.

"Are you feeling better, Isaac? You had some bad wounds when you were brought in."

Isaac nodded his thanks. "I'm feeling much better, thanks to you and Mia. I'm grateful that you spent the time and effort to heal a stranger."

"It's our duty," Mia said. "I would never forgive myself if I left anyone to die. Even—" She broke off, flushing slightly.

Alex looked at her strangely, then commented, "It's not often that we see any traveling warriors around here. Where did you say you were from?"

Isaac tried not to blink in his nervousness. "Vale."

"Where are you heading, Isaac?" Mia had a very beautiful voice, Isaac noticed, even through his panic.

"Well, I'm just a wanderer, really, a nomad." He chuckled, warming to his story. "I go wherever I feel like going."

Mia's eyes sparkled. "It must be wonderful, having so much freedom. Do you ever get tired of it?"

"Well," said Isaac, trying to create a realistic response, "it has its ups and downs. Those wolves were one of the downs."

Mia and Alex both laughed.

"So, are you going to stay here long, Isaac?"

Isaac felt a fluttery feeling in his chest as Mia spoke. But despite this strange new emotion, he had his story planned out. "Well, actually, I came here to offer my services. I'm a healer, you see, and I heard that Imil is in need of healers."

The light in Mia's eyes dimmed. "You heard correctly. With all the battles going on, there's more healing to be done than we can manage. It seems that nearly every day, some of the Mercurian warriors are brought here."

Alex added, "We were sent here to be a healing base for the Mercurian forces, but we need more strength than the four of us that are here currently. We had five healers when we first came here, but one had to return to Lemuria after he was injured severely in an accident with the Jupiterian forces. We've asked King Hydros for more Adepts, but there are none to spare: all of them are involved in a campaign against Venus."

Isaac felt his stomach clench at the mention of his clan, but he kept his features emotionless.

_How in the world am I supposed to convince them that Venus needs their peace? They're just healers, miles away from their capital… What made Uzume think that they will be able to influence their king?_

"Well," said Alex, a broad smile on his face, "we'll take all the help we can get. You ready for some work, Isaac?"

Isaac struggled with his conflicting emotions. He _did_ need to have some excuse to befriend the Mercurians, but…healing his enemies?

Isaac had been raised by compassionate parents. They had told him numerous times—before their deaths four years ago—that each human on the face of Weyard—no matter what kingdom they lived in—was equal. Isaac took a deep breath. _They are humans, too, just like the soldiers of Venus. They deserve life just as much as any other. There is no reason that I should shrink from helping them._

A weight off his chest, Isaac smiled, feeling happy for the first time in several weeks of traveling and worry.

"You bet!"

* * *

A dense mist swirled around a desolate shore. The fog lined the border between the water and the land, enclosing the beach in a white blanket.

The waves lapped gently at the bare feet of a girl. She lay on the shore, sand encrusted on her skirt and dark red hair. The waves washed higher, splashing the girl's face. With a sputter, she awoke.

Jenna groaned and opened her eyes, squinting to see in the dim light. Slowly, she sat up and looked around.

She was on a sandy shore. The beauty of the quiet beach—what she could see of it, because a thick fog obscured her vision—was marred by the half-hulk of a ship that lay stranded on the beach. Shards of wood were scattered across the sand. Jenna flinched, realizing that these boards were all that remained of the beautiful ship that had left Tolbi only a few days before.

Jenna got to her feet, brushing sand off of her damp skirt. Walking slowly so as not to aggravate her aching head, Jenna approached the ruin.

Apprehensively, she began to walk around the ship, wondering where everyone else had gone.

She had only circled halfway around the stranded wreck when she found one sailor. Jenna shrieked, almost tripping over the limp body. She ran in the other direction, only to stumble over the captain's corpse. His body lay half in the water, his bloated arms swaying gently in a morbid semblance of life.

Trying not to throw up, Jenna edged away from the wreckage, then broke into a run. She dashed up the beach, not knowing where she was going, just trying to get as far away from the carnage as possible.

With a thump, she collided into a man who had been walking down the beach. The young man caught her as she fell, exhausted, to the sand.

His bright gold eyes took in the scene: the now sobbing girl, the wreck, the dead sailors. "Shock," he muttered. Brushing long blue hair out of his eyes, he murmured some words under his breath. His hand glowed blue, and Jenna's eyes closed, her breath slowing.

Hoisting the girl's limp body in his arms, the man cast one sad look at the ruined ship, then began to trudge up the beach.

Jenna awoke abruptly. She lay on a soft mattress under a patterned quilt. Above her, wooden beams criss-crossed the ceiling, reminding Jenna of a ship's cabin.

"Where am I?" she whispered to herself. She only remembered waking up on the shore…and the dead crew...

"In Lemuria," answered a voice. Jenna started. She looked to her side to see a young man, who seemed to be about nineteen or so. He was quite tall and muscular, with strange bright gold eyes. His long blue hair was tied back in a ponytail, and a patterned headband was wrapped around his forehead.

Jenna stared at him. The only blue-haired people she had ever heard of were Water Adepts, but...

_In Lemuria..._

"But that's impossible," muttered Jenna. "Lemuria's in the middle of the Eastern Sea..."

"Your ship encountered that storm in the western region of the Eastern Sea yesterday evening," said a new voice, a harsh one. "With no one in control of the Black Orb, you were swept off course and washed into Lemuria. Your ship actually made it through the Sea of Time, as few other ships have done, though at the expense of many lives."

Jenna turned her attention to the end of the bed, where a stately man stood, his blue-gray hair swept back carefully, a crown on his head.

"Oh no," she whispered. "You're not... You can't be..."

"I am King Hydros of Lemuria," the royal-looking man said, straightening unconsciously, "ruler of the Mercury Kingdom. And you are?"

"I'm Jenna," Jenna said miserably. "I'm from...the Venus Kingdom."

The king raised his eyebrows in shock. "The Venus Kingdom? We noticed the extraordinary color of your hair and decided to check if you were an Adept. We tested your power and, finding that you were a Mars Adept, we assumed you were from Prox."

Jenna flushed, but sat up, sweeping her red hair back proudly. "I am a Fire Adept, but I was born to a family of Venus Adepts. I...was being sent to Prox when the ship was caught in the storm."

The king frowned. "This changes matters. The Mars Clan has never attacked us—"

The young man by his side chuckled. "That's because they knew they would lose."

"—but the Venus Clan... They are not indifferent to us. This could be dangerous for our kingdom. If we sent you back..."

"I promise I won't say anything," cried Jenna earnestly, hope rising in her. She would be able to see her family, her brother, again.

"But we cannot trust a stranger, especially an _outsider_." The king spat out the last word.

"But Your Majesty, surely we can make her sign an oath never to reveal our secrets..." began the young man.

"Picard, you do not understand these matters of state. She is one of _them_, one of the Venus Clan, despite the fact that she is a Mars Adept. She would not hesitate to betray our entire clan."

The young man—Picard—sighed. "You're right as always, Your Majesty."

The king smiled knowingly. "The girl Jenna must remain in Lemuria. She must not be allowed to pass the boundaries. Good day, Picard."

Watching the king sweep regally out of the room, Jenna felt the tears well up. Struggling to keep her dignity, she blinked quickly several times. All chances of seeing her brother ever again had been smashed like the ship against the rocks.

"Here." A strong hand lifted her to her feet. Jenna looked up to meet brilliant gold eyes. "I'm sorry that you can't leave, but we are at war. We can't take any chances."

_You were prepared to take those chances until Hydros objected,_ thought Jenna, but she said nothing.

Picard watched her dark brown eyes cloud over with pain as she tried to hold back the flood of grief that was overwhelming her. He wished he could do something for her, but no one could overrule Hydros. Picard saw the reasoning in Hydros's decision, but it was hard to apply the rules of war to an innocent girl who would never see her family again.

"As long as you're here, you might as well see Lemuria," Picard said. He guided her gently out of the house and into the bright sunlight of the Mercurian capital.

* * *

"Ivan, you're back!" cried the young girl. Ivan watched emotionlessly as his friend ran down the stairs towards him, her purple braid flying behind her, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Hello, Feizhi." Ivan was in no mood to deal with the spirited Jupiter Adept.

Feizhi stopped short, looking behind Ivan with a puzzled expression on her face. "Ivan, where's Sheba?"

Feeling his rage return, Ivan swept past Feizhi. "Not now. I need to see Hama."

Feizhi watched as the Jupiter Adept ran past her, anger evident in every motion he made.

"Hama?" Ivan knocked softly on the doors to his sister's room.

"Come in, Ivan."

Ivan opened the door to see his sister sitting on her couch, her long purple braid coiled around her head.

"Welcome back, brother." She smiled warmly. Formalities restricted the emotions she could display in public, but she loved her only brother dearly. He was the only remainder of her family; their parents had been dead for over eight years.

"I..." Ivan tried to speak, to report everything that had happened, as he had been trained to do, but he choked. Ignoring all proper protocol, he threw himself into his sister's arms and wrapped his arms around her.

Hama returned his hug, holding her young brother as she had not since he was a toddler.

"I know, Ivan, I know," she murmured soothingly.

Ivan drew back, his violet eyes wide with rising anger.

"You _knew_? You knew this would happen?"

Hama looked her brother directly in the eyes. "I knew there was a high possibility that either you or Sheba would not come out of there. But I was not sure until you returned just now."

Ivan's eyes blazed. "Well, then you know why I have to go back and rescue her."

Hama sighed. She'd had feelings like this before, but when she had become the ruler of the Jupiter Clan after her parents' deaths, she had put all such emotions behind her. "Ivan, there is no way that you would be able to sneak in and get Sheba away from the Venusians. She will be too well protected, and since last time, security will be even higher. I can't let you get caught, too."

"But Hama!"

The young woman took her brother's hand. "Ivan, I know how you feel. But I don't even need powers of prophecy to know that you would not escape out of the Venusian palace a second time. The risks are too great, and I need you."

"Sheba needs me too!"

"Ivan, you are not thinking! You would only be risking yourself, and I will need you when the Venus troops come for us on the seventeenth."

Ivan turned white. His violet eyes stood out like fires in his pale face as he pulled the papers from his tunic and dumped them on the floor. "You _knew._ You _knew _they were planning an ambush. And you sent Sheba and me there anyway."

"Ivan!"

The boy ignored her. He turned and ran, slamming the door behind him.

Hama sighed again. She turned to the window, looking northwest toward the Venus kingdom. Her brother must never know why she sent him and Sheba to the palace in Tolbi.

_I did as you told me, Jupiter. Please, give me the strength to help my brother,_ she begged.

There was no reply.

* * *

In the Venusian palace, Felix stood outside the Sheba's door, wishing he didn't have to do this. He got along well enough with Jenna, but other than that, he didn't feel comfortable around girls. Given a choice, he would have avoided Sheba completely, but Uzume had insisted…

"Sheba?" He knocked on the door. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah."

Felix pushed open the door. Sheba was sitting on the edge of her bed, gazing southeast out the window. She seemed to be in a quiet mood, very different from the argumentative streak she had shown yesterday. It was almost as if she was a completely different person.

"Sheba? I need to take you to Lady Uzume."

Sheba had only been settled in for a day, so she had not yet met the ruler of the Venus Clan.

"Why?"

"Because you're going to be staying here, so she wants to meet you."

Sheba turned around, fixing those bright green eyes of hers on him, giving him a glance that seemed to look into his soul.

"That isn't the only reason, is it." She spoke quietly, but with confidence.

"Well...no. She—well, all of the Venus Clan, really—needs your powers to win this war." Felix grimaced inside. He didn't want this war, but he knew Uzume had her reasons.

"You don't really want to be doing this, do you?"

Again, Felix was unnerved by the girl's perception. She wasn't even using Mind Read!

"Felix, after reading minds for nearly fourteen years, human thought gets to be very predictable, and very obvious." She smiled. "Well, seeing as how Lady Uzume requested it, I'll come."

They stood in front of a pair of tall doors. Felix knocked lightly on the varnished wood.

"Lady Uzume? I've brought Sheba," Felix called through the door.

The door opened, revealing the leader of the Venus Clan, a woman in her mid-twenties, with dark brown hair and a wise smile.

"Welcome, Felix."

"My lady, may I present Sheba, of the Jupiter Kingdom?"

Sheba stepped forward, expressionless.

Uzume smiled her thanks at Felix, then trained all of her attention on the young Jupiter Adept.

"I would welcome you to my home, Sheba, but I do not think that you wish to be welcomed."

Sheba looked up, startled: Uzume had the assured attitude and insight of a Jupiter Adept!

Uzume smiled. "I spent my childhood with a young girl named Hama. She taught me many tricks of perception, but no, I am not a Jupiter Adept. I would not be able to rule on the throne of Venus if I were not an Adept of Venus." Her smile faded. "But now, war has torn our clans apart. That is why I need your help, Sheba of Lalivero. If we are to survive this onslaught, we will need your foresight."

Sheba said nothing. She seemed to be staring past Uzume, out the doors that opened onto a balcony. Wondering why Sheba wasn't responding, Felix took matters into his own hands. He nodded formally to Uzume, then said, "We'll be in the library if you need us."

He grabbed Sheba's hand and led her out.

In the past, before the sealing of Alchemy, many of the Venus Clan had been scholars. The large library was filled with their historical records, music, and traditional tales.

Felix led Sheba over to a pair of chairs on the first floor of the library and sat her down, seating himself in the other. Sheba's eyes were still unfocused, staring off into space. Felix thought he saw a glitter of purple in her irises.

"Sheba?"

She flinched slightly and looked up with bright green eyes.

_That's funny,_ thought Felix. _I could've sworn her eyes were a different color a minute ago…_

Sheba met his eyes. "Why should I help you?"

Felix sighed. "Look, Sheba, the truth is, Uzume doesn't really want to be in this war. She told you herself that she used to be friends with Hama."

Sheba's eyes glowed purple. "But...if she didn't fight, your clan would be totally overpowered by Mercury and Jupiter and Mars, even if you declared yourself to be in a state of peace."

"Stop reading my mind!"

Sheba did not even smile. She seemed even more subdued than she had just been half an hour ago.

"So," continued Felix, "now you know why the Venus Clan has to fight. But now we're trapped: we can't survive without fighting, but once we start fighting, we have to win to stay alive."

"And so you want me to use my powers to help you win this."

"Exactly." _Well, according to Uzume, anyway._

Sheba stared at him. "You don't want to fight this war, either."

"Well...no."

"But you have to! Do you really want to be conquered by the other elemental kingdoms?"

Felix didn't answer.

"Felix, why don't you want to fight?"

He sighed again. "You're too young to understand."

Sheba scowled. She was about to object to that, but he stopped her. "Look, Sheba, if you help us, maybe we'll be able to allow you to return to Lalivero."

The anger in Sheba's eyes faded, replaced by…sadness? She said nothing.

_No, you won't. You can't, because you need my powers. You'll always need them. Jupiter, why is this my fate?_

Felix was about to say something along the lines of ordering her to help—which was most unlike him, when Sheba closed her eyes. Felix watched as her body went rigid and then glowed violet.

After a minute, she opened her eyes again and spoke, her voice flat and emotionless. "Ivan took the plans about your sneak attack to Hama—Master Hama, I mean. The Jupiterian forces…they're going planning to attack you from behi—"

Felix cut her off. "I'm not surprised. Come on, save the rest for Uzume."

Of course, Sheba hadn't told Felix everything…

She watched her best friend's image in her mind's eye. _Ivan, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I can't come home. I'm sorry I never got to say goodbye. _

Tucking the bittersweet memories away, Sheba stood up and followed Felix out of the library.

_But...I miss you, too._

* * *

The full moon shone brightly in the night sky; the snow had stopped earlier in the night.

A dark figure walked through the silent streets of Prox, stopping every few seconds to check that no one was around. Turning the corner of the inn, she bumped into two others.

"Ouch..."

"Karst?"

"Garet? Agatio?"

"Yup."

"Are you..."

"Yeah, we are..."

The three scurried off into the shadows.

A few minutes later, they emerged in front of a house. Two others were already there.

"Menardi? Saturos?"

"What are you three doing here? You shouldn't…"

"They've got a right," said Saturos.

Menardi sighed. "Fine, but keep it down, Karst. If anyone finds us here, we'll be worse off than Puelle is."

Karst quieted. Menardi looked around cautiously, then edged the front door open. The five Mars Adepts snuck into the house and shut the door behind them.

"Puelle?" The warrior chieftain of Prox was sitting awake in an armchair—no one had wanted to risk moving him all the way upstairs to his bedroom. His bare chest was wrapped in several thick bandages.

"Puelle, are you okay?" Saturos looked concerned. No one had been allowed in Puelle's house since the attempt on his life two days before.

Puelle laughed dryly. "I'm fine, Saturos. The healers stopped the bleeding, but they say it's best if the wound heals naturally. Of course, they're just trying to keep me from recovering for a long time, if not permanently."

"But..." Karst was shocked. "_I'll_ heal you, if they won't. _Stubborn southerners,_" she muttered.

Garet glared at her. "Hey!"

Saturos looked sternly at Menardi's young sister. "I don't want to hear you ever making a distinction like that again. That kind of mental segregation is what got us into this whole mess in the first place."

Menardi placed a comforting hand on Karst's shoulder. "We can't heal him, Karst; they would know we'd been here. This has to be completely secret."

Karst looked down. "But _why_?"

Puelle cleared his throat. "Karst, the man who stabbed me was not locked up because half the town—the southerners, I'm sorry to say, Garet—agrees with him. Prox is divided; no one group can claim a majority. Therefore, I need you five to go and put my plan into action."

"But someone needs to stay here with you!" Menardi objected.

"I'll be fine. My health will mean nothing if we cannot bring peace to Weyard."

Saturos looked at Karst, Garet, and Agatio. "Aren't they a bit young for this?"

Puelle shook his head as the three friends scowled. "No, Saturos, they are a perfect example of how all of us can live in harmony. You'll need them."

Menardi observed the three eager teens before her. "We accept, Puelle."

"All right. Your first step is to go to Lalivero, capital of the kingdom of Jupiter. Meet with Master Hama, ruler of the Jupiter Clan, and, well...you know the rest."

He met the eyes of Saturos and Menardi. They nodded, sharing a look.

"You need to convince _all_ the clans that peace is needed. If even one clan is not in agreement with the others, our whole plan will fall apart. If you succeed, there is a chance for survival. If you fail, we will only have destroyed ourselves. Go. Weyard is counting on you."

Two hours later, at the docks, five figures boarded a ship—one of the Psynergetic ships that was made by the Lemurians in the times of peace before the sealing of Alchemy. A short while later, the ship left the docks, sailing south.

* * *

...That took _forever_ to write... And don't expect an update soon (I'm serious this time!) because we're leaving my grandparents' cabin and driving to Washington D.C., where there are no laptops.

Review!


	5. Watching the Winds

[Avari is sitting in a chair by the air conditioner somewhere on the East Coast of the U.S., eating pocky, and typing on a laptop.] Okay, I lied. My dad let me use his laptop, so I got to update this before I get home!

**--Reader Responses--**

wind-adept-aly: Yeah, there've been several stories about elemental kingdoms and the like, but mine will be different! I swear!

ice-phoenix-chan: Computers make life so easy! Yeah, some people might have problems with the pairings that turn up, but as long as no one complains…I'm fine.

Master of Reality: There's so much stuff going on at the same time that I had to note down the entire story before I could make any sense of what I was going to write. I'm glad you think the characters are portrayed well; I'm not so sure about this chapter…

Daidairo: Sorry about the Jenna/Piers pairing, but the people sort of…ended up together. Yeah, Felix/Sheba is really cute!

Inferno-Hero: Yeah, Fire Adepts are cool, but I think I'd rather be a Jupiter Adept. Psychic powers are awesome!

Berserker1: Thanks! Wow, you like Three Kingdoms! [is awed]

Favri the Fisher: Uh… [doesn't know other languages…] Well, no, they're not reincarnations…exactly. The dates don't have anything to do with the game—just think of this as an alternate universe fic for not; it'll make things easier. You'll just have to form your own idea when the epilogue comes around (which won't be for a long time, sorry). Whoops! I screwed up the Eastern/Western Sea thing… I'll fix that as soon as I have time… Thanks!

**--End Response Section--**

**Disclaimer:** Avari owns nothing. Get the picture?

* * *

Chapter Four

Watching the Winds / Developments

* * *

_They are gone. They left last night, when no one would be able to stop them. There is no turning back now. We have set these events in motion, and there is no stopping them._

_Four years ago, when the young Jupiter Adept came to us with a warning, I did not believe her. How could the lighthouses, the long-forgotten relics of the ancient past, be any key to peace between the kingdoms?_

_Though my mind was skeptical, my heart told me otherwise. She spoke truth, the same truths that have been recorded in the records of the Proxans for centuries. It only remained for me to piece together the clues and reveal the one possible escape for our doomed world._

_Even with the puzzle solved, the chance that this plan will succeed is small. Even within our own city, rivalry and competition forms rifts, larger that the one that lies just ten miles out of Prox, near the Mars Lighthouse._

_But we must try. For the sake of every innocent person who has been caught up in this struggle. For the warrior souls who fight on, ignorant of every viewpoint but the one they have been raised on since childhood. And especially for the unnamed Jupiter Adept, who gave her life for the future._

_Everything now relies on five young warriors traveling south._

_May Mars go with them._

—From the records of Puelle, warrior chieftain and record-keeper of Prox, 587 A.S.

* * *

About four hours' sailing out from Prox, a ship's prow cut through the calm waters of the Western Sea.

Saturos removed his red-glowing hand from the black crystal and wiped his forehead. "Whew, that really takes a lot out of you." After nearly four hours of channeling his Psynergy through the strange conducting orb in order to steer the ship, he was feeling significantly drained.

"Saturos, can I take a turn?" Garet asked.

Karst grinned and held up a blazing fist. "You'll have to get past me first, Garet!"

"Oh, come on, Karst. That's not fair!"

"Yeah, you always get to do everything! Give one of us a chance!" teased Agatio.

"You want to fight me for it, Agatio?"

Garet grabbed the crystal from its pedestal. The ship shuddered to a halt.

"You three—"

"Oh, no you don't!" Agatio snatched at the orb but Garet dodged him.

"Stop it!"

"Flare!" Karst sent a small plume of flame blasting at Garet, who ducked but dropped the orb. The black sphere rolled across the floor, stopping at Menardi's feet. She picked it up and gave them a stern look. "Enough! Garet, Karst, Agatio, you're going to have to get along."

"But, Menardi—"

"We were just—"

"We weren't serious!"

Menardi glared at them. "I don't care. We don't have time to waste on you three."

"Puelle trusts you even though you're only seventeen," said Saturos. "Prove to him and to us that you're mature enough to handle something like this."

The three Adepts looked down and muttered embarrassed apologies.

"Now, about steering the ship, you'll each have four hour shifts, and Saturos and I will have six hours shifts. That way you'll all get a turn, and we'll have time to recover our Psynergy in between shifts. Okay?"

The three nodded, not wanting to spark Menardi's temper further. Menardi walked back to the pedestal and placed the orb back where it belonged.

"Agatio, you've got the first shift."

Agatio nodded and laid his hand on the orb. The other four trooped up the stairs as the orb glowed red and the ship began to move again.

Up on deck, Menardi turned to her younger sister, who was heading off with Garet. "Karst, I need to speak with you."

Garet moved away from Karst, seeing the severe look on Menardi's face. He wandered up towards the prow of the ship, leaving Karst and Menardi alone.

Menardi sighed heavily and gave her sister a sad smile. "Karst, I know it's hard, believe me, but you need to keep an eye on your temper."

"What are you—"

Menardi silenced her sister with a look. "You may or may not have been joking around back there, but I need you to stay in control of your emotions. You've always been a bit hot-tempered"—Karst blushed—"but now is not the time. We are diplomats now. One outburst from you in front of one of the kingdom rulers will ruin the whole mission. We need to show the other clans that we are serious and sincere. Leave the talking to Saturos and me."

The younger Adept sighed. She didn't want to admit it, but Menardi was right. She couldn't jeopardize this expedition. "All right."

Menardi reached over and gave her sister a hug. "Thanks, Karst. It'll get easier, trust me. I was just like you when I was your age."

"You still are!"

Menardi smiled.

"…But you've gotten better since you and Saturos…"

"Karst, what is that supposed to—"

The younger girl was already gone, scrambling up to the crow's nest to join Garet.

Saturos came up behind the annoyed Mars Adept. "What was that about?"

"Nothing."

"Keeping secrets from me?"

Menardi smiled, her slight anger fading. "Never."

Saturos leaned against the railing, seemingly oblivious to Menardi's mood swing.

"Stop worrying about it, Saturos," Menardi said sharply, noting his grim expression. "We've got a long sail ahead of us; just enjoy it."

He said nothing, keeping his eyes on the small waves that slapped against the side of the ship.

"Saturos!"

"…What?"

Her expression softened. "Look, it'll all turn out okay in the end. They'll understand soon enough, so stop fussing. Lighten up."

To take the edge off her comment, she reached up and kissed him gently.

Saturos smiled sadly and wrapped an arm around her, gazing south towards the still-distant continents of Angara and Gondowan.

Karst and Garet were up in the crow's nest, looking out over the horizon. The sun was just rising, its ascent dying the sky various shades of orange, red, and pink.

"It's beautiful, isn't it," murmured Karst, gazing out at the horizon, where sea met sky.

Garet looked at his friend, a bit unnerved by her calm demeanor. Karst was _never_ this poetic. "Uh…sure, I guess."

"It'll be really amazing, won't it? Going to see new lands…"

Garet gulped. He had only seen Karst this excited and happy on two occasions: when she had learned Dragon Fume, and when she had received a warrior's scythe as a present from Menardi. Karst was not like other girls.

"…more Adepts…"

_She's lost it,_ Garet decided.

"…other kingdoms…"

Garet eyed his friend nervously. Maybe she had a fever…

"…meet some good-looking guys…"

"What?" Garet yelped.

Karst grinned. "Just checking to see if you were listening!"

Garet groaned. It was going to be a long voyage…

The solitary ship sailed south.

* * *

A cool autumn breeze blew over the city of Tolbi, through the streets and up the hill to where the palace sat, looking over the subjects of the Venus Kingdom. The gentle wind stirred the hair of the two Venus Adepts who stood together on a balcony, talking quietly.

"…Uzume, I don't know… I don't trust her."

_You do, but you don't know why. You're worried. _She smiled to herself. "Relax, Felix. Trust me, if you can't trust her."

"But she…"

"She knows the position she's in. She knows she has to help us, but she doesn't want to betray her clan. She'll help us, though, and willingly."

"She'll have to face the truth soon enough, but can we really trust her with something as important as this? She's so young! Does she really comprehend the magnitude of this war?"

"She understands more than you give her credit for, Felix. Give her some time. She's more intelligent than you realize. She'll come to see our way soon enough."

"And what if—"

"Felix? Lady Uzume?"

The two Venus Adepts turned to see Sheba come up behind them.

"Hello, Sheba." Uzume smiled at the young Jupiter Adept.

Sheba ignored Uzume's gesture of kindness, her small face serious. "Something's changed. The Mercurians have learned of the attack Hama is planning for the seventeenth of November. I think"—she wrinkled her forehead in concentration—"they're planning something… Attacking us...or maybe…" She trailed off and her eyes clouded over.

Uzume paled. "Isaac…." She shared a worried look with Felix. "Thank you, Sheba."

"No, there's more." Sheba's eyes focused again on the two Venus Adepts. "Hama's changed her plans… She was planning to strike earlier than the ambush date, but now _she_ knows that _we_ know…so…she's going to…attack…"

Sheba's eyes glowed purple again, then returned to their normal green. "I'm sorry! I just can't understand what I'm seeing!" she burst out in frustration.

"It's okay, Sheba," said Uzume soothingly. "You've done your best and you've already provided us with a great deal of information."

Sheba nodded, still upset, and turned to go.

"Felix, I need to speak with my commander, so why don't you accompany Sheba to the city? She hasn't been out to Tolbi yet."

Felix would rather remain with Uzume and meet with the commander, but Sheba's eyes lit up eagerly at the thought of getting out of the palace. Somewhat reluctantly, he left Uzume on the balcony and followed Sheba back into the palace.

The two descended to the main floor and went outside to the grounds. Felix nodded politely at the two sentries as they passed through the front gate.

Outside the walls, a stone-paved path led through the woods that surrounded the palace and descended the hill, heading for the center of Tolbi. The two Adepts walked in an awkward silence.

"Sheba?"

"Mmm?"

"Uh...I don't mean to be rude or anything…" Felix looked so awkward that Sheba nearly laughed for the first time in several days.

"Just spit it out, Felix."

"…Why are you helping us? I mean, you belong to the Jupiter Clan, and this is the Venus Kingdom. Why do anything that might give us an advantage?"

The amusement in Sheba's eyes dimmed as pondered the one question that she herself didn't even know the answer to.

"I'm…I'm _supposed_ to be here…" Sheba's voice unconsciously took on the quiet, deeper timbre of a prophesier. "I knew this would happen…but I didn't tell anyone, not even Ivan. I was _destined_"—she spat the word out bitterly—"to get captured. And now I have to live with what comes after."

Felix almost smiled, but he caught the wry smile on her lips. She was struggling against homesickness, against the temptation to run back to Lalivero, and she was failing.

_Ivan, Feizhi…_

_I don't know why I'm destined to be here, but something is calling to me…_

_Please forgive me… I'm betraying my whole clan, the only family I've ever had._

"Someday, this will all be over…" He wasn't sure if he was reassuring her or himself.

Sheba looked up at him sharply, any hint of vulnerability gone from her expression. "Felix, do you _really_ think that this war is ever going to end?"

"If we work together to unite the kingdoms, then we _can _unite Weyard!"

Sheba smiled sadly. "Felix, your ideals are nice and all, but this war is never going to be over. No kingdom will ever admit that maybe the others might have some claim to power, and allow everyone to be equal. No one on this god-forsaken planet is ever going to settle for anything less than ultimate power."

"Sheba, if you don't have any hope, nothing will ever get accomplished!"

"But even with foolish hopes, no one will unite the kingdoms! Not even Babi did, and he had the best chance out of any of us."

Felix shook his head. It was sad, really, how a girl so young could be so cynical. "You have to believe, Sheba."

"Yeah, believe that we're all going to get annihilated when this war turns into the Armageddon."

"Hmph." With that, Felix reverted back to his normal reticent self as the two Adepts made their way down the stone path, down the hill toward the busy streets of Tolbi.

* * *

The same bright sun shone over the island empire of Lemuria. Time had worn away at the ancient city, but it was still as beautiful as ever. The capital of the Mercury Kingdom was situated on a hill on the lonely isle in the center of the Sea of Time. The paved streets circled around the hill, forming several levels on which houses and other buildings were found. On the summit of the hill was the palace of King Hydros and the building that housed the Senate of Lemuria.

Jenna and Picard sat on a crumbling stone wall by a spring on the second level. The small spring was walled in with stone where it bubbled up from its source. A gray stone dragon head was carved above the spring. It seemed to have been a fountain at one time, but no water flowed from the mouth of the dragon. Despite the reputed age of the fountain, it seemed to be in very good condition.

"Picard, what's so important about this fountain, anyway?"

The city of Lemuria had always been a peaceful place, especially in the time before the sealing of Alchemy. Now, even in the midst of war, the citizens of Lemuria still went about their lives with an unhurried, leisurely way.

"Well, it was responsible for the long life of Lemurians."

_It's almost a feeling that makes you want to go to sleep,_ Jenna had decided. _It's as if time is passing very, very slowly…_

"You mean by drinking this water, a person can live for centuries?"

It had been only two days since Jenna had woken up on the sandy coast of Lemuria, but already she was feeling the effects of the quiet, subdued ambience of the tranquil city. The desire to return home had vanished, replaced by only a wistful wish to see her family again.

"Well, it used to be that way…"

_It's not like I'm missing anything,_ Jenna told herself constantly. _They'd only send me away if I came back home. And I'd much rather be here than in Prox…_

But Jenna was already falling under the spell of the serene island…

"So what happened?"

Picard looked around nervously. The only people nearby were about five or six Lemurians who were casually going about their daily tasks. One woman paused by the fountain and filled a bucket with the crystal clear water.

Seeing no one suspicious nearby, Picard whispered, "The spring flowed with the water of life up until the reign of Emperor Babi…"

"What, he stole—"

"Picard!"

Jenna jumped.

"Oh, damn," Picard whispered. Sitting beside him, Jenna could feel the Mercury Adept tense up.

A tall man with dark gray-blue hair and a white robe with a purple stole was coming down the steps to the fountain. He smiled at Jenna, but she noted that his eyes remained as cold as ice.

"Lord Conservato, what brings you here?" said Picard, his voice calmly polite.

"Why, nothing more than the assembling of the Senate, of course!" Conservato's manner became stern, his face settling into a subtle scowl. "You're needed at the Senate House, boy. Important matters to discuss." He coughed, seeming unwilling to elaborate on the subject in front of Jenna.

"What—you're in the _Senate?"_

Picard winced.

Jenna felt mortified. Here she was, talking to him like he was a regular person… "I thought you were just…"

"No, really, it's not important…"

Jenna scowled at him.

Lord Conservato cleared his throat. Picard flinched, then looked sideways at Jenna.

She sighed. "It's okay," she assured him. "I'll be fine by myself."

Picard nodded but didn't seem much relieved. Jenna waved goodbye to him as he and Conservato headed up towards the palace and the Senate House.

* * *

"Isaac?" Mia's voice called, muffled by the extra foot of snow that had fallen during the day. She peered out the door of the small healers' house, squinting to see in the darkening twilight. "Isaac, where—oh, there you are."

Isaac was standing outside in the snow, leaning against a tree.__

_He's looking southwards again,_ though Mia sadly. "Isaac?"

Isaac looked around and spotted her. Standing on the doorstep dressed only in a light robe, with the snow falling around her, Mia looked like an angel of winter. The light from inside the house flooded through the doorway behind her, creating a glowing aura around her body. Her blue hair gleamed in the golden glow…

"Isaac!"

"Uh, sorry, what?"  
Mia glared at him. "Would you stop spacing out? We just got another casualty!"

Isaac sighed quietly, feeling a bit guilty. Immediately after his arrival three days ago, there had been an outbreak of skirmishes between Jupiter and Mercury. The healers in Lemuria had their hands full, so nearly twenty injured fighters—those needing long-term care—had been sent on the fastest ships from areas near Lalivero all the way to Imil.

"Coming." He brushed a few loose flakes of snow off his clothes and followed Mia inside.

The large room down the hallway on the ground floor—which would normally have been a general sitting room in a typical Imilian house—was being used as an infirmary. Ten small cots were crowded into the room. There another ten beds in the back room. Two of the upstairs bedrooms were empty and could be used for patients, but after that, the small house would be completely full. The problem was that transportation was expensive and all of these patients needed long-term treatment. None of them would be returning to Lemuria soon.

In the last empty bed in the former living room, a young man lay. The three other Mercurian healers—Alex, and two others, a man and a woman—stood by the bed, watching the injured soldier carefully.

The young woman turned. "Oh, you're here, Mia!"

Mia gave her a tired smile. "Is it bad, Niniel?"

The girl nodded. "He just arrived off the ship. So now, along with a broken leg, he's got seasickness as well."

The young man, who was about the same age as Niniel, snorted. "It shouldn't have been this bad, though. Those shipboard healers didn't even think to check his condition. He got banged around a bit on the trip here. The bone's probably been splintered by now."

Mia sighed. "Well, that's why he's here, Keth—for long-term care. But you're right, they need to be more careful with the casualties. Lemuria can't afford any more soldiers out-of-action."

"Well, it shouldn't be too hard to heal," said Alex.

Isaac, tuning out their conversation, was examining the young soldier. As he was only a possessor of Water Psynergy and not a true Adept, he did not have the blue hair that distinguished Mercury Adepts from others. He had brown hair and a pale face, made paler by the fact that he had fainted from the pain.

_Well_, thought Isaac,_ it'll be easier to heal him when he's not awake and screaming._

"You ready?" Niniel asked him.

"Yeah."

The five Adepts gathered around the cot. Keth carefully grasped the broken leg, which extended at an angle off the bed.

"Ready!"

Keth straightened the leg with a firm grip, lining the lower half of the broken bone up with its counterpart. The unconscious man moaned as Keth held the leg firmly in place.

The five healers all concentrated, reaching inside themselves for the appropriate healing Psynergy.

Isaac, as always, noted the golden glow of his Cure against the blue-white glows of the other healers' Psynergy. But after a few moments, he ignored the distinction. All of them were too immersed in the challenge of fixing the splintered bone together through Psynergy instead of using splints and bandages.

Glowing light wrapped around the man's leg. Though still out cold, the man flinched and tried to move, forcing Keth to tighten his hold. Underneath the man's flesh, splinters of bone were joining together as the leg straightened to regain its natural position.

With a sigh of relief, Isaac straightened. Even partial healings such as this one took a lot out of the healers. They hadn't healed the leg completely, of course; there were too many patients and not enough healers in Imil for that. But they had mended the leg enough for it to complete the healing process naturally. The young patient would certainly have enough time to recover; there would be no funding for ships to return to Lemuria and the war until the Senate agreed on it. That meant the long-term casualties would be stuck in Lemuria for six months to a year, depending on how stubborn the lords were being.

_Well,_ thought Isaac, _maybe now I can spend some time with Mia._

He really wanted to get to know the compassionate Mercury Adept better, but with all the casualties coming in from the south, along with a few healing jobs in Imil itself, none of the healers had had much free time to spare. They were kept busy every waking hour, and also some hours when Isaac would have liked to be asleep.

But such is the life of a healer on the edge of a battlefield.

_Just walk up and speak to her,_ Isaac told himself. _It can't be that hard…_

"Uh, Mia?"

The young healer turned and smiled at him. "Yes?"

"Uh…"

"Mia, we need you right away! There's just been another outbreak of that disease: three Imilians are infected. We need to suppress it before anyone else is infected."

Mia sighed. "Right away, Keth," she said to the male healer who stood by the door of the infirmary, waiting for her. "I'll see you later," she said to Isaac, and rushed out the door.

Such is the life of a healer…

* * *

"…And we learned that Mercury is planning an attack on the Venusian armies, scheduled for a week from tonight, Master Hama."

"Thank you, Mila."

Hama waved her hand, dismissing her top spy—the leader of the small organization of Jupiterian spies that Hama used. Ivan and Sheba had been top agents, but Sheba was being held captive by the Venus Clan, and Ivan had refused any missions without his partner.

"If Mercury attacks Venus," Hama mused, speaking half to herself and half to her young assistant, the Jupiter Adept Feizhi, "then the best time to launch an attack would be… I suppose we could attack both of them at once, while they're busy fighting each other. That way we get the maximum chance of victory with a minimum of casualties."

"Yes, Master Hama," agreed Feizhi meekly. She was best friends with Ivan and Sheba, but she felt awkward taking Sheba's place as Hama's assistant and advisor.

"But maybe if we—" Hama stopped abruptly. Her eyes glowed violet. Feizhi watched her ruler she stiffened, swayed, and then stopped, the vision releasing her.

"Master Hama?"

Hama seemed to be muttering to herself. "Why is he so rash? Why can't he just accept fact?"

"Master Hama?"

Hama looked up and seemed a bit surprised to see her young assistant. "Oh, Feizhi!" She blinked a few times and seemed to come to her senses. "I have a task for you to do, Feizhi…"

Ivan dug through his drawers, searching out anything that would be useful for what he was about to do. Wrapped in a cloth, he found his three daggers—the ones he and Sheba had used when they— He stopped that thought. Dwelling on the past would not help anything.

Quickly, Ivan clipped one dagger to his belt and slid the other two into his leather boots. Then he slipped some dried meat and a water bottle into his backpack. He was just checking his room to make sure everything appeared normal, when there was a knock on the door.

He stuffed the pack under his bed. "Come in."

Feizhi opened the door and poked her head in. "Whatcha doing, Ivan?"

"Oh, it's you, Feizhi." Ivan had never been less happy to see his best friend. _Why now?_

Feizhi looked at him sternly. "Why now?" Ivan winced. "Ivan, if you're going to try to run away, don't try it in a place full of Jupiter Adepts."

"What do you—"

"Don't play stupid, Ivan," she said sharply. "You and I both know, whether you're going to admit it or not, that you were going to leave and go after Sheba."

"You've got no—"

"Honestly, Ivan, when a Jupiter Adept won't believe other Jupiter Adepts, we're all doomed. You of all people should know truth when you hear it."

"But—"

"Ivan, Hama knows how you feel. But what you're trying to do right now is the one thing she can't allow you to do at this time. If you got caught…" She shook her head. "And even if you rescued Sheba, it would create tension with Venus that we just can't deal with right now. You could endanger the outcome of this whole war! And if the Venusians found out that someone was trying to rescue Sheba…"

Ivan forgot all about denying his plans. "Feizhi, sometimes you have to understand that there are some things more important than this god-cursed war!"

Feizhi smiled sadly. "I know, Ivan, I know. That's why we can't let you go."

Ivan sat in silence, glaring at her, but she returned his defiant stare with a wistful smile.

At last, Ivan got tired of glaring. Feizhi knew it, and she turned to go. "I'll see you in the morning, Ivan."

When she had closed the door behind her, Ivan threw his pack into a corner. In a sudden fit of rage, he tore off his daggers and hurled them onto the floor.

Then, suddenly exhausted, he sank onto the bed and fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

In the small town of Suhalla, a place often scoured by the deadly tornadoes of the nearby desert, the elder had received a message from Lalivero—war was building. It was time to fight. The best fighters were to be sent to join the main Laliveran forces near the Gondowan crossing.

"Phil, are you sure you'll be okay?"

Phil Timrin, a newly married man in his late twenties, was one of the forty men from the small village who was skilled enough in the use of Psynergy to go off to war. The provincial villagers, however, were unaware that that small accomplishment would not keep them alive.

Phil prided himself on being the second-best Psynergist—a non-Adept—in his company. But even he was ignorant of the dangers that awaited him as he headed off to the battlefield for the first time in his short and innocent life.

"I'll be fine, honey," he said, kissing his young wife on the cheek. She smiled through her tears and handed him his sword, which had been passed down from his grandfather and was notched and weathered with age. He sheathed the blade and buckled it onto his belt. Psynergy was the primary weapon of battle in this age, but having other weapons increased one's chance of survival.

Then he walked proudly off to join the other thirty-nine men who stood in the center of the town square. In front of them stood the elder of Suhalla.

The crowd—composed of all the inhabitants of Suhalla—quieted as the elder raised his arms.

"Be strong, my warriors. Fight bravely. Come back to us safe." He dropped his arms and, as one, the forty soldiers marched off into the sunset to meet their fate.

* * *

Where has that muse got to?

[Meanwhile, deep in the subways of Washington D.C.]:

Felix: What is a 'dollar'? [holds out 10 gold coins to ticket person]

Ticket Person: …Is that real gold? [faints]

Felix: …Must have been something he ate… [sees another victim—I mean tourist] Hello! [smiles in a very friendly way] Do you know which of these newfangled caravans goes to Vale?

Tourist: Uh… [edges away nervously while wondering which mental institution needs to up their security]

…I hope he's not bothering anyone…

Oh, well. Review, and I'll give you some pocky!


	6. Stormfronts Clash

A note to flamers: I do not mind if you don't like my story; you are entitled to your own opinion. BUT, if you're going to leave a review telling me that my story is bad, at least justify yourself. I want feedback or constructive criticism, but if you don't explain your criticism, I will just ignore you.

[takes deep breath and smiles] Sorry about that…

Felix: [walks in the door, spots box] Oooh! Pocky!

No, wait!

Felix: [eats pocky]

That was for the reviewers!

Felix: Oops.

**--Reader Responses--**

ice-phoenix-chan: Yeah, Ivan is a bit…protective…of Sheba. Heh. And since I'm not portraying Karst as a 'bad guy,' it's hard to know how to write her character. I went for a playful/fiery/spunky character.

Inferno-Hero: Sorry, Felix just ate all the pocky. [sniffs pathetically]

wind-adept-aly: Thanks!

**--End Response Section--**

I didn't update for a while because I didn't feel like writing a new chapter. Instead I went back and revised my previous chapters. I'm not angling for more reviews or anything; I just realized that I wanted to develop this semi-AU world some more. You might want to read back (sorry 'bout that) because the added parts will play a part in this chapter and maybe others.

Must stop rambling…

**Disclaimer:** Avari does not own Golden Sun, its characters, angry Venus Adepts, angry Mars Adepts, angry Jupiter Adepts, angry Mercury Adepts… You get the idea. Nor does she own the Senate—Roman, Lemurian, or American—or the patricians and plebeians.

* * *

Chapter Five

Stormfronts Clash / Arguments

* * *

_…The Lemurian government is a unique one. The king, who inherits by familial ties, is the figurehead. All laws and such are written in his name, but he has very little actual power. Most of the influence in the government belongs to the Senate, a group of the lords of Lemuria._

_The Senate consists of the oldest male of each high-ranking Lemurian family. The lords hold their position for life, or until they wish to step aside and leave their place for their heir. The lords—also called senators—debate issues that are brought to their attention and vote on them. This system—called democracy—is not found anywhere else on Weyard._

_Within the Senate, the speaker is the head lord. He regulates discussion—along with the speaker's assistant—and informs the king of any progression during senatorial meetings. This system worked quite well for countless centuries._

_Since the Sealing, however, order in Lemuria has been deteriorating. Theories point to the emergence of plebeians, or those who live in Lemuria but do not have the blood of the true Lemurians. Apparently, the plebeians have become a controversial issue in Lemuria that is threatening to tear the ancient city apart…_

—From _An Essay on Government during the Four Kingdoms,_ anonymous, written in 578 A.S.

* * *

With a sigh, Puelle watched from his upper-story window as the mob gathered in the square. The participants mostly consisted of southerners—armed with swords, he noticed sadly. A few were native Proxans. Most looked only curious, but a few seemed to have sided with the southerners for good.

Puelle could clearly see the fair-haired, heavyset man as he made his way to the front of the crowd and waited for the noise of the crowd. Fifteen years ago, Steven had been a fun-loving, innocent youth. The elders had said that he was becoming a most promising warrior. But four years ago…

Puelle sighed and watched as Steven began to speak. It had taken three weeks since the attempt on his life for the simmering discontent of Steven and his supporters to come to a boil. Puelle was almost relieved that their anger was out in the open, but he knew that soon he would regret it.

"Proxans, now is the time to strike!" A few cheers. "We of the Mars Clan are known to be fierce and strong warriors. This filth that Puelle is feeding you is nothing but a weak attempt to save his own skin!"

There were several shouts of agreement. A few—Proxans and southerners alike—looked uncomfortable. Some glanced left, toward Puelle's house where their leader lay inside, still incapacitated from the chest wound that continued to aggravate him.

Steven continued, speaking over the mutterings that had begun.

"If you are not cowards, show it by fighting! Backing out of this war will gain us nothing—peace is a dream treasured only by fools who don't have the guts to kill."

More murmurs of approval. Puelle gritted his teeth. If this kept up…

His attention wavered, his gaze moving over the crowd and off into the distance. North, to be more precise. In the direction of the lighthouse…

_Saturos, Menardi… _He shut his eyes tightly, willing away the shouts of the crowd. _If you can't complete this task, no one can. You are the last hope of everyone on Weyard._

A lone tear slid down his cheek.

There were more shouts from the crowd below, and the sounds of running feet.

_Pain. Lighting lanced through him. His heart throbbed. Agony…_

Puelle clutched at his chest, his vision going gray as the shouts faded from his hearing.

He fell…

An hour later, a redheaded girl knocked softly on Puelle's door, at the same time looking around nervously. Steven's supporters had been suspiciously quiet since their rally. No one in Prox dared to guess what the desperate man would do next.

Hearing no reply, the girl pushed at the door and found it open. She headed toward the stairs, carrying a large basket with her.

"Puelle?"

There was no answer.

"Puelle, it's lunchtime!"

Silence. She looked around nervously. Puelle didn't normally take naps at this time of day…

"Puelle? Puelle!"

* * *

Agatio growled angrily as he shoved his way through the entangling undergrowth. Behind him, he could hear the rustling and curses that were the rest of the group. He sighed. Traveling really _was_ no fun.

Suppressing a curse of annoyance, he paused in his assault on the native shrub species to wait for the others to catch up. With a yelp, Karst—who was right behind him—freed her hair from a bush and stumbled forward.

"I _hate_ this," she snarled, yanking several thorny twigs from her red hair.

It had taken just over a week to sail from Prox to Angara—remarkably good time, considering that the winter storms were beginning. But after landing near the Angara-Gondowan border, southwest of Tolbi, Saturos and Menardi had decided that they would not be able to travel on the roads. With the number of battles per week climbing quickly, small companies of soldiers were seen often. Proxans were very conspicuous, and not trusted much. Getting captured by any one of the other three kingdoms would most likely signify the end of their mission.

"Why do we have to go to Lalivero first, anyway?" complained Karst to Saturos and Menardi, who were just catching up. "We could've gone to Tolbi and saved ourselves a trip. It seems like a big waste of time to me."

"Because," said Menardi, leaning over to catch her breath after the wild rampage through the bushes, "these are _Jupiter_ Adepts we're talking about. If they found out—and believe me, they would—that we had approached another kingdom first, they would never listen to us. As long as they're first, everyone else will be easier."

Garet emerged from the trees ahead of Agatio. "It gets better over that way," he said, waving an arm westward. "The thorns clear up a bit. I think we're almost out of this forest."

In the time since leaving the ship, Agatio felt as if they had trekked across all of Weyard. Two weeks was a long time, and it seemed even longer when they had to shove their way through brambles and close-growing trees, ford fast-flowing rivers, and sleep out in the open even when the rain poured down like there was no tomorrow.

A wandering life spent sleeping out under the stars was way overrated.

There was a crashing sound, like a large _something_ running through the bushes. Straight towards them.

"Oh, damn—"

Agatio heard a grunt and turned. A big green, _ugly_ troll was standing not five feet from Karst, eying her intently. It sniffed the air cautiously, its piggy eyes squinting. It seemed to decide that Karst wasn't dangerous, and reached forward with its stubby arm.

Bad move, mister.

"Yaaaah!" Karst screamed out a battle cry and swung her scythe, leaving a deep gouge in the troll's flesh.

Agatio smirked. The troll had chosen to pick on the wrong person. He drew his sword and swung at the monster, raking a gash in its tough hide. The troll paused and blinked, looking confused.

Karst was readying her scythe for another swing, when a rush of fire shot straight at the troll. Agatio blinked, staring at the charred patch of ground where the troll had been standing a moment before. He turned to Garet, who grinned with satisfaction. "Wouldn't you consider that…overkill?"

Garet shrugged. "Nah."

"Hey, you three, come look at this!" Menardi and Saturos had left the three to deal with the troll and had gone on ahead.

Karst, Agatio, and Garet turned away from the charred remains and ran the last few hundred feet out into the open.

"Wow…"

From where they stood, the ground sloped gently downwards for five miles or so, until it reached the outer walls of a large city. The city of the Jupiter Adepts had been built of a sandy-hued stone that was tinged pink in the setting sun's light. Green pastures and small farms were spread over the land before them. The outer wall circled the main urban area. In the center of the lively town was the citadel, home to the Jupiter Adepts. Its domed top rose high above the surrounding houses and shops.

"Well, that's Lalivero," said Menardi. "We should get there in time to speak with Lady Hama tonight."

This announcement cheered the three teens. The prospect of sleeping in an actual bed and eating decent food overrode their lurking doubts about the approaching confrontation. They started down the hill, already laughing and discussing what would be best about finally getting to a real city.

Menardi laid a hand on Saturos's shoulder, following his gaze out to the city. "It'll work out, Saturos. It always does."

* * *

"Master Hama?"

"Come in."

The guard pushed open the door into Hama's study. He bowed deeply. "Milady, there is a group of five warriors—Proxans by the look of it—who wish to speak with you. Shall I tell them to leave?"

Hama sighed. "Proxans… They have been quiet of late…" The guard cleared his throat. "No, there is no need to send them away. I'll speak with them in the citadel."

"Yes, milady." The guardsman bowed and left.

Ten minutes later, the five Proxans were ushered into the cold stone hall of the Jupiterian citadel. Tall pillars lined the room, the black marble giving the entire hall a cold and hostile feel. At the far end was a stone chair where a violet-haired woman sat. Behind the Proxans, four guardsmen took their places in front of the doors.

Hama watched the five warriors carefully. The three males had swords, and the two women carried gleaming scythes. They were probably Fire Adepts, too. They were not opponents to be underestimated.

"Greetings, Lady Hama," began Saturos.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice harsh with suspicion.

"We're from Prox," answered Menardi shortly. "We have a proposal to make to you, for the good of your kingdom."

Hama said nothing, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Menardi eyed the guards behind her. They didn't seem to be listening…and they were too far away to hear much, anyway… "We come on behalf of our chieftain Puelle to offer peace between our kingdoms—all the kingdoms—not only Jupiter and Mars, but Venus and Mercury as well."

"And why should I accept your proposal?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Karst caught a flicker of movement by one immense pillar. She turned to look, but nothing was there.

Menardi hadn't expected Hama to jump at the chance for peace; she was too involved in this war. But the cold, indifferent tone of the Jupiter Adept's voice irked her. "Our world is dying, torn apart by the wars. We have a chance to end it all. Will you take it?"

Hama's eyes flashed dangerously. "Dying? What is the proof of that? We have endured for millennia, and we will endure for many more."

The three of them, Saturos, Menardi, and Hama stood their ground, glowering at one another.

"Supposing I take this offer," said Hama at last, her voice deceptively calm, "will the Mars Clan alone maintain the peace, without help from its sister clans? And then will you turn on us and them when we least expect it?"

Menardi felt rage boiling just under her skin. "Need I remind you that _you _were the ones who betrayed _us_ two hundred years ago?"

"That was not my doing. Will you blame me for the faults of my ancestors?"

Menardi looked slightly awkward. "Er…"

Hama smirked, seeming younger than she had a moment ago, and less like the formidable leader of a kingdom. But her voice still had a ring of confidence to it. "You are a long way from your goal, if peace is indeed what you seek. And you will find no help here. Leave, now."

Seeing the defiant stare on Hama's face, Saturos instinctively reached for his sword. Hama caught the movement, and met his eyes. "So that is your plan… Guards!"

Menardi shot a horrified look at her partner. "Saturos! You didn't…"

But it was too late. Nearly twenty guards seemed to materialize from the shadows of the pillars. All were armed with swords, and all wore the small badge that proclaimed their status as advanced Jupiterian Psynergists, one step below Adepts.

Menardi gripped her scythe tightly. _Their one mistake was not taking our weapons at the door,_ she thought grimly. _It's our one advantage._

"Wait, Menardi…don't kill anyone. That's not what we're here for, remember?"

He was right. Menardi lowered her scythe. They were now completely surrounded. The guards jostled the five Proxans roughly. Crudely-made swords and spears encircled them.

"All right," said Saturos. "You win." He raised his hands to show that his sword was still sheathed, then brought his fist down onto the helmeted head of one soldier. "_RUN!"_

Karst, Agatio, and Garet obeyed immediately. They dashed for the exit, Agatio using his weight and strength to shove the startled guards to the floor.

Saturos's opponent's eyes flickered, then rolled up as he collapsed. Saturos ran for it, following the three teens and knocking over two guards that were dumb enough to get in his way. Menardi smirked at the looks of astonishment and anger on the Psynergists' faces. She smiled sweetly, and, with a fluid motion, hit two of them in the stomach with the wooden end of her scythe, then followed Saturos's example and ran.

The guards had been caught by surprise, but now they were ready. A sword cut a gash down Karst's arm as she raced after Garet and Agatio, who were already halfway to the door. She winced in pain but kept running, knowing their survival depended on getting to the door before the soldiers. Agatio arrived first, knocking the two remaining guards to their knees, but receiving a shoulder wound in return.

Then the doors were open, and they were running out through the entranceway and the front doors of the citadel.

A little old lady paused in her shopping at the angry shouts that were coming from behind her. She turned to see five strange-looking people racing down the street, headed for the main gate. The three in front were all in their late teens. The boy in front had unusual features—maybe it was his blue skin and hair. The girl following him had pink skin and bright red hair. Blood dripped from her arm. Another boy with spiky red hair kept pace with them. She noted that he seemed quite normal by her standards—none of this odd blue skin. Following them were two others, older, but still quite young—a blonde woman and a blue-haired man—both armed. And behind _them_ came a full company—nearly forty—of the Laliveran guardsmen, looking murderous.

She watched as they sped past, shrinking back against the vendor's cart as she noted the glint in the blonde woman's eyes, and the way she held her scythe—she meant business. And then they were gone, forcing a wide rift in the crowds of Laliverans, running for the front gate—it would stay open until sunset.

Not a minute later, a full company—nearly forty—of the Laliveran guardsmen ran by, apparently chasing the first group. They jogged past, huffing and shouting things like "Proxans in the city!" and "Get the blue ones!"

The old lady shrugged and went back to examining the apples at the fruit stall.

Young people got stranger every day.

* * *

A bright sun shone over the grounds of the palace. The day was unusually warm for mid-autumn, but a cool breeze blew through the streets of Tolbi and up the hill to the palace.

The gentle winds increased their speed, following the call—an inexplicable summons that had led them from the ocean shore all the way to this city of earth. At last, they reached their destination—the source of the call—a young girl who stood on the walkway that crowned the battlements of the outer wall of the Venusian palace. She closed her eyes and smiled, feeling the familiar winds of Lalivero brush her face…

…And inhaled the salty smell of the sea. Sheba gasped and choked, startled by the familiar smell. Coughing to regain her breath, she realized how long it had been since she had smelled the ocean's distinctive scent. Not since leaving Lalivero, over two weeks ago. Although Tolbi was situated right on the Karangol Sea, the large body of water was actually fresh water. Several rivers carried the cool, sweet water of the Karangol out to the ocean…

…Past Lalivero…

Sheba scowled, causing the breezes around her to flit away. Why couldn't she think of anything but Lalivero? She had been in Tolbi for nearly three weeks; why couldn't she just accustom herself to the fact that she wasn't going home?

She sighed and leaned against the battlements, her head on her arms. She had never thought she would miss them so much…but she did. Ivan, with his quiet intelligence and firm loyalty… Feizhi, who had a short temper but a mischievous smile… Hama, who ruled her kingdom with wisdom and foresight…_I'm betraying them all. I'm helping the enemy. I just want to—_

But did she want to go back to Lalivero? Sheba wasn't sure, and that scared her. Three weeks ago, she could never have imagined feeling comfortable in any place but Lalivero. But now that she was in Tolbi, nothing seemed as concrete as it had. Everything Sheba had once thought true was turning on her.

And the biggest problem was that of her Jupiterian foresight. Rescued from the streets at a young age because of her Psynergetic potential, Sheba had been trained personally by Hama. If there was one thing she had learned, it was to trust her instincts: they would never fail her.

Besides, Felix and Lady Uzume saw the world differently from Hama. They told Sheba time and time again that there _was_ a way to break free from this cycle of war. Sheba didn't believe them, but she owed it to them to help them as much as she could.

So for now, Tolbi was her home…

Felix opened the door to Uzume's study. She was sitting behind her desk, head bent over as she read reports and wrote up a dispatch to her commander.

"Uzume?" Felix had known Uzume for nearly seven years, ever since his family had been initiated into the Venus Clan because of his powers. In the past year, he had started calling her by her first name, on her request.

She looked up and smiled, but Felix could see the lines on her face: from stress, not age. Her eyes were tired, reddened by nights without sleep.

"Sit down, Felix."

He took a seat in the chair by her desk. "You sent for me?"

She nodded in affirmation, her eyes fixing on his. "Sheba has informed me that the Mercurians plan to strike, sometime in the next four days, with nearly a thousand men."

Felix sat forward. Little skirmishes were common; they happened almost every day. But a large battle, that was rare. "Where?"

"We're not certain." She brought his attention to a map on her desk that was covered in color-coded markings. "It could be north of the Karangol, or even farther west. They may try to bring the fight to Tolbi."

The silent swordsman said nothing, his eyes fixed intently on the map.

"I'm sending two hundred men around the Karangol to the south, and two hundred to the north. They'll leave tomorrow morning."

"But what about Isaac? Hasn't he gotten to Imil yet?"

"Felix…" she said softly. He looked up at her, startled by the sudden change in her demeanor. "Felix… I don't think Isaac…was able to make it."

Felix felt his heart clench. "That's not possible… He wouldn't…" Isaac had been Felix's best friend since Felix's first day in the palace. Though one year younger than Felix, Isaac had trained with him. To imagine Isaac gone…"Felix, had he made it to Imil, we would have heard some word from him," said Uzume gently. "Four weeks is a long time, and the northern wastelands are harsh."

"You're…you're lying…"

"Felix, I'm sorry." She couldn't cry for him now, but she would later, when she was alone.

Without another word, Felix strode out of the room. He wasn't the kind of person to slam doors, but the door shut with a decisive _click_.

"Felix…"

* * *

Jenna crouched by the large doors that opened inward to the Senate room. She carefully edged one open half an inch, then leaned forward to listen.

"Order! Order!" a man shouted above the raucous din. Slowly, the Senators ceased talking.

"Now," said another man, "what was I saying before I was so _rudely_ interrupted?"

Jenna recognized Conservato's voice from the several times she had eavesdropped on the Senatorial meetings. His cold, clear voice carried in the still room.

"There should be no question of giving equal rights to the plebeians. They do not have the blood, so they should not receive the benefits that come with the blood. It is that simple."

"But they are Mercurians, too, whether you like it or not, Conservato!"

"Yeah, they have the same powers as we do!"

"But their lifespan—"

"—Water Psynergy—"

"—different blood—"

"—power of Mercury—"

"—Imilians, the lot of them—"

"Order!" yelled the first voice. "This is ridiculous! I have never seen a less orderly Senate meeting!"

Jenna heard a few embarrassed coughs and shuffling sounds.

Conservato cleared his throat to speak, but one man, either braver or more foolish than the others, called out, "They would have the blood too, if it weren't for Ba—"

"Silence!" shouted Conservato.

Sitting in the back of the room, Picard sighed. It wasn't the first time that someone had mentioned Babi in the same sentence as the long life of Lemurians, but Conservato _would_ go on about political secrecy and the interests of the public.

_More like _his_ interests,_ thought Picard. _If the public ever found out about that, Conservato's remaining lifespan of several more centuries would be shortened considerably._

The shouting only continued, the two sides trying to outdo each other in volume and obnoxiousness.

_"ENOUGH!"_

The lords froze, their faces reddened from shouting. Several were standing on their chairs. Two had were about to start a fistfight.

"There will be no more discussion of this topic," said the elderly Lord Leau frostily. "The debate will be resumed at a later date, when you have all learned to_ control_ yourselves."

Several lords flushed with embarrassment.

"Now," said Lord Leau, "Lord Conservato will speak to you about the attack that has been planned."

Conservato rose and cleared his throat. "Ten ships—carrying twenty companies—will land north of Lalivero. The date of this planned attack on the Venus kingdom will be released later, when you have…calmed yourselves. Today's meeting is adjourned. I hope that tomorrow we will be more productive."

There was a pause, and then everyone stood up. The room filled with sound as each senator began talking to his neighbor. Picard sighed, glancing toward the door. The older lords would debate for _hours_ on the day's deba—

There was a familiar auburn glint between the two doors, one of which was edged open. Picard stared, then looked around. The other lords were all too involved in their own conversations to notice anything unusual.

Casually, Picard strolled towards the double doors, unnoticed by the arguing senators around him.

The doors swung open. Jenna stumbled backwards, barely keeping her balance, and felt a firm grip on her arm.

She looked up into Picard's eyes. She gulped.

"What were you doing?" he hissed, gripping her wrist firmly.

"I…"

"There's no excuse for what you just did!"

"I just wanted to find out what was going on," she muttered rebelliously, looking at the ground.

"So you listened in on a _Senate_ meeting? You aren't even a citizen of Lemuria!"

Jenna didn't know what to say. She hadn't really meant it to go this far, but she had been so bored… She had really only meant to find out what went on in a Senate meeting, but the debates had sparked her curiosity. Too embarrassed to ask Picard what the _heck_ the lords were talking about, she had listened to the next meeting, and the next, and the next…

But she wasn't bored anymore; now she was just _angry._

Picard sighed and looked slightly guilty. "I'm sorry, Jenna. It's been really busy right now, what with Conservato getting all worked up over the plebeians…"

Jenna looked up sharply. "But that's not the only thing you were talking about—you're planning an attack on Venus."

"Yes."

"You…you're going to attack my _home!_"

"Jenna…I know…but there's nothing I can do about that."

She was glaring now, trying to hide the tears. "But…you're in the Senate! Why don't you _do_ something?"

"It's not that easy—"

But she was already gone.

* * *

"Quiet, you there!" the captain whispered. Murmurs passed along the line of soldiers, then there was silence. Phil, lying on his stomach, sandwiched between two others, felt his heart racing. A battle was coming.

Two and a half weeks of patrolling the pass between Lalivero and the Gondowan Crossing had left Phil plenty of time to think about what he was getting himself into. And he had realized that he did not know what the hell he was doing out here. He could barely wield a sword to save his life, his Psynergetic stamina bordered on none, and here he was, walking into his first fight.

There was a crackle of dry leaves from the left-hand side of the line. Phil squinted through the bushes, trying to see if someone was down there.

"On my command," whispered the captain, a few places down the line. The men tensed, readying themselves. Most had never been in combat before today. And most would never see combat after this day, either.

"Phil, Mark, Stan, ready yourselves…"

The three strongest Psynergists in the company silently acknowledged the order. Phil closed his eyes and reached inside himself, finding the small globe of violet light within. He held his breath and mentally drew a strand of the power up, spinning it as he did so. He clamped his will down on the still-imaginary whirlwind, awaiting the order…

There was a scream from the left.

"_NOW!"_ yelled the captain, shooting to his feet and drawing his sword.

Phil, startled, lost control of the whirlwind as it became reality. A roaring tornado appeared in front of him, spinning rapidly. It hesitated, seeming to move a bit closer to Phil.

"Go on," he whispered to it, gesturing left, where he could hear the clashes of metal on metal not twenty feet away, in the trees. The whirlwind paused, then lurched to the left, knocking aside two men who were garbed in the battle attire of the Venus Kingdom.

Around him, men were fighting, locked together in life-or-death struggles. A screaming Venusian soldier was hit by a bolt of lightning, supposedly summoned by one of the stronger Psynergists. He fell to the ground, writhing in pain. A man next to Phil gasped suddenly, staring in amazement at the spear shaft embedded in his chest, then crumpled to the ground.

Men were fighting. And they were dying.

A shudder coursed through Phil's body. He didn't want to be here. He had envisioned huge armies marching off into the sunset, the light glinting dramatically off their armor. He hadn't thought there would be so much death, or so much blood…

A yell came from behind him. Phil whirled, instinctively drawing his sword. It met another with a clash. Phil felt his arms ache with the blow. He strained to hold his sword against the strength of this other man.

Feeling his muscles weakening, Phil looked up one last time. He met the eyes of the other man; warm brown eyes, eyes that would have been kind had the man not been trying to kill him.

_Brown eyes. No different from mine… I thought they would be red, like a demon's. But they are demons, aren't they? Stupid Venusian bastards._

_…Can't hold on much longer. Too strong for me. Maybe it's all for the best… I don't want to…die…_

The screams of the dying penetrated his mind.

_Losing… How can we? They're wrong; everything they do… They can't win…wrong… We…can't lose… Have to…win…_

He fell to the ground, his eyes already dimming, blood leaking from the hideous gash on his chest, one repetitive thought forcing its way through his slowing mind…

_Brown…eyes…?_

The afternoon sun faded, the last rays of light shining over the battlefield. Nearly a hundred dead men lay there, the same men that had been living that morning.

They were all dead. No word would return to either Lalivero or Tolbi of this battle. It was merely a small skirmish, a small loss, in the overall game, nothing to be worried about.

A few vultures circled slowly overhead as the sun set.

* * *

Please review—I am in desperate need of feedback.

I'm not sure if everyone was in character. Especially Agatio (does he have a character?). And Picard. And Jenna, maybe. Help!

Also, I need your opinion of the last scene. Did it fit okay? (If you don't know who Phil is, read chapter 4.)


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